200 SURGERIES PERFORMED IN TWO DAYS
About 200 surgeries were said to have been performed within the first two days of the 17th/2024 edition of the annual free medical and surgeries Outreach sponsored by the former lawmaker in the house of representatives Hon barrister Nkeiruka Onyejeocha for her Isuikwuato/Umunneochi constituents in Abia state.
She represented the constituency for four-terms of 16 years that ended in 2023 and is presently the Minister of Labour under her APC – controlled federal government led by president Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
About 80 various medical professionals and other services providers were engaged for this 2024 Outreach edition held at the Hon Barrister Nkeiru Onyejeocha Medical Center, Amuda- Umuaku in Umunneochi Council from 16 – 19 October, 2024.
An estimated 200 people of various ages and sex were seen on Wednesday queuing anxiously to be diagnosed and attended to their health needs ranging from surgery, sight, counsel, laboratory investigation, referral etc.
Coordinator of the Outreach, Dr Evuchaiwe Humble Chimaobi named Hernie, Typhoid, Malaria, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Hepatitis, Breast Cancer etc among ailments diagnosed saying that while the Outreach handled some, those they cannot, were to be referred to appropriate medical facilities.
He counseled the people to always go for regular medical checks especially the Blood Pressure , so that right medical management will be commenced to avoid advancing to crisis stages.
He also commended the Outreach Sponsor, Hon Onyejeocha for continuing with it after being a lawmaker for consecutive four terms of 16 years, and called on other blessed people to emulate Hon Onyejeocha”s philanthropies that included other yearly empowerments of her constituents as a lawmaker.
Onyejeocha told journalists how she instituted the Outreach about 17 years ago disclosing ” initially, foreign medical personnel were coming to handle the Outreach. But when I saw the crowd and their sorry/pitiable, poverty state, I was moved to establish this Center and run it as long as God empowers me”.
She noted that her doing so was despite that she had subsisted various empowerment programmes / projects for her constituents, pointing out that it is only healthy people that would effectively manage the projects for which they were empowered to undertake.
” There can’t be progress without good health as those assisted/empowered have to be cared for health-wise, and rescue them from poverty and under nourishment.
” I have empathy and passion for people. As long as God blesses me, I shall not ask for help to continue this Outreach but , I may in future, seek collaboration. For now, God has blessed me to do what I am doing for the society in line with my passion”.
One of the beneficiaries of the Outreach ( name withheld ) whose two children of below ten years underwent Hernie surgery, wondered how and where she would have sourced the funds.
” I never thought of Hernia being what was wrong with them. They complained of stomach/ belly aches until this year’s Outreach came and I brought them here. Luckily ,we became one of the early people attended to and my two children have been operated upon and cured of the Hernia. We give thanks to God for blessing and using Hon Onyejeocha to establish this Center for us “.
Similarly, many others attended to, disclosed how they suffered their ailments and got treated, counseled , diagnosed or referred to other facilities outside the Center, some said to be at the expense of Hon Onyejeocha.
About 600 people were said to have been attended to during the Outreach that concluded at the weekend.
