All roads within Aninri, Awgu, Oji River, Enugu and even beyond led to the UNTH Outpost, Ugbo, where up to a thousand ailing individuals gathered as early as 8 in the morning to benefit from yet another phase of free comprehensive medical services courtesy of Rt. Hon Toby Okechukwu, Deputy Minority Leader Federal House of Representatives.
This year’s medical outreach, of which previous editions had witnessed great success, has been meticulously packaged. Everything seemed to have been put into consideration in the planning and eventual execution. Today, being the first day in this phase of Toby’s free medical outreach bears testimony to the assertion.
From the clean spacious buses that conveyed the beneficiaries of the free health service, some of who may not afford transportation, through the impressive array of medical specialists in different fields of medicine, to the well designated stands for the various health services ranging from the testing centers, the pharmacy unit, the eye clinic, the private booths, to the sophisticated theatre where a major surgery already took place, it is evident that Hon. Toby has transcended beyond politics to imbibe passionate philanthropy. He is a crass humanist who has become obsessed with the well being of his people, of THE PEOPLE.
Is it surprising then that even the impressive and well equipped UNTH Outpost, Ugbo, which hosts themedical outreach is his brain child?
One needs to look at the faces of the people, mostly rural dwelling farmers, as the burden of disease is being lifted off their shoulders, to appreciate God in providing, preserving and guiding Hon. Toby through life and positioning him from where he has served the people with his whole heart, with his whole being.
Mr. Charles Anugwo alias Onye–enyere–ya-nye, from Ngene Ugbo Oyibo, was almost in tears of appreciation when he recounted how he was treated for acute body pains at Hon. Toby’s previous medical outreach some years back and this year, he is sure to receive treatment for his eyes.
Yes, this phase of Hon. Toby’s free medical outreach for the people which runs from 14th to 20th June 2022, is one in a series that has lasted over the years. Dr. Udeuhele Godwin Ikechukwu, a former Commissioner for Information, Enugu State and DG, Toby CampaignOrganization, shed light as follows:
“This program is as old as Toby’s political history. We have done it severally. We’ve done it at CorpusChristy, Achi during his first tenure. We have done it at Nnenwe Cottage Hospital. We have done it at St. Monica’s Maternity Home in Ihe, and we have done it here in this UNTH outpost. This is the second time we are doing it here. So, we have done it for six consecutive times.”
To pull off the unarguable invaluable feat of cateringfor the health needs of his beloved people and the rest of humanity, Hon. Toby Okechukwu is partnering with Doctors on the Move Africa, an indigenous none-profit organization working in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.
According to Dr. Joseph Chigbu, team leader for Doctors on the Move Africa,
“We conduct short term medical missions across rural communities of Nigeria. We have been to 26 states in Nigeria offering the services. Today we are at Ugbo in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State. We are working with the Rt. Hon. Toby Okechukwu who is the Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. Basically, we are giving a comprehensive medical service for the next 5 days. So, we are seeing outpatients, we are seeing people with eye problems and also, we are doing basic laboratory tests like hepatitis, like BPs, hypertensions, pains from prostatic carcinoma, and then, of course, for malaria and some of them who come with surgical needs like hernia, cataracts, like hydro cysts, like appendicitis, like fibroids, ganglion cyst. We have specialist doctors in our midst that are doing surgery for them.
So, today is the very first day. I was given about 300 patients already. We are hopeful that each day of our stay we should be able to see between 100 to 1000 patients every day. So, we are looking at about, maybe 5000 to 6000 at the end of this exercise.”
So, for the next couple of days, people will receive life-saving free medical services. Even the drugs are also free! Well, in all this, one can only but wonder what Nigeria would be like if every representative of the people, every local government chairman, every governor, and every president were to be like Hon. Toby Okechukwu. Definitely, we would be singing a different song in our dear country.
pictures below…