More than 430 residents of Zide and Madagbayo communities in Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State have benefited from a free medical outreach organised during the Easter period.
The two-day outreach, held between April 4 and 5, was sponsored by the Aaron Ponuwei Ebelo Foundation as part of its ongoing humanitarian initiatives.
The programme, now in its fifth edition, involved over 35 medical personnel who carried out a range of health services, including blood sugar tests, HIV screening, Hepatitis B and C tests, blood pressure checks, eye examinations, and general medical consultations.
Beneficiaries also received medications, while cases requiring advanced care were referred to the General Hospital in Iguobazuwa and other health facilities for further treatment.
Speaking during the outreach, the founder of the foundation, Goodluck Ilajufi Ebelo, said the initiative was designed to provide relief to underserved communities, particularly during festive seasons.
“We do not have hospitals or healthcare centres in this area. So, we felt that during festivals, especially Christmas and Easter, we could invite volunteer doctors and other medical practitioners to the villages to address various health challenges affecting the people.
“This has been ongoing for the past three years, and this is the fifth of its kind,” he said.
Ebelo also revealed plans by the foundation to rehabilitate and equip abandoned government health facilities in the area, as well as deploy qualified personnel to manage them.
The Project Director, Hannah Ojo, explained that the outreach was motivated by the need to reduce preventable deaths in rural communities.
“This initiative was birthed as a result of people losing their lives to preventable causes. If there had been access to proper medical care, many of them would have survived,” she said.
“Although there are health centres in these communities, they are not functioning optimally. We felt we could help reduce the mortality rate by providing essential healthcare services. For those requiring surgical attention, we also connect them to hospitals where they can receive treatment,” Dr. Ojo stated.
Also speaking, the implementing partner, Ugonna Nwigwe, expressed satisfaction with the impact of previous outreaches, noting that beneficiaries have continued to benefit from earlier interventions.
“We have interacted with people we attended to in Gbelebu community the last time we were here, to assess their health status. One beneficiary told me how helpful the eyeglasses we provided have been and expressed hope that we would return. It is very rewarding to put smiles on people’s faces in these communities,” she said.
Medical team leads also highlighted key health concerns observed during the outreach. In Zide community, Oyintare Abraham noted a high prevalence of hypertension and low awareness among residents.
“From our observations, it is clear that many people in the community are not well informed about some health conditions. Hypertension is prevalent, even among young people, yet many are unaware of their condition, and some cases are severe. Governments at all levels need to pay greater attention to rural communities,” he said.
In Madagbayo community, Shalom Azenabor identified infectious diseases as a major concern.
“Generally, infectious diseases are prevalent, along with a number of hypertensive cases. If the local health centre can carry out basic tests, it will greatly benefit the community. We also observed some symptoms that could be related to Lassa fever, although this needs proper investigation by relevant authorities,” he said.
Community members expressed appreciation for the initiative. Chairman of Zide community, Zachariah Lala, said the outreach was unprecedented in the area.
“We have never experienced this kind of free medical care, even from the government,” he said.
Another beneficiary, Gabriel Aigbekumo, commended the effort and urged others to emulate the initiative.
“Government at all levels should rise to their responsibilities. These are services that should ordinarily be provided by the government, yet a single individual is making a significant impact,” he said.
Also, the Youth Chairman of Madagbayo community, Benjamin Olowu, praised the outreach for being completely free, noting the impact on residents.
“I have been examined and given medication without paying anything. May God bless those behind this great initiative,” he prayed.
