Al-Ansor Trust Fund (ATF), an Islamic group, has offered free medical care to no fewer than 1,000 less privileged people in Oyo State and neighbouring states.
ATF Coordinator in Oyo State, Dr Ridwan Salam disclosed this at the group’s 8th annual free medical and surgical outreach at the Muslim Hospital, Mosfala in Ibadan, on Sunday.
The three-fay medical outreach started on Friday and came to an end on Sunday.
The services like cervical cancer screening, dental consultation and treatment, eye examination and treatment and surgery, were offered to the beneficiaries.
Salam said that the free medical and surgical outreach was to assist the less privileged in the society, irrespective of age, religion and sex, who were having health challenges.
He said that the outreach focused on dental care, cervical cancer screening, eye screening and surgery for people with glaucoma and hernia.
The coordinator said that the outreach was well-attended and that many received care.
“From the record, over 100 have been screened for cervical cancer, 400 people for eye screening, 300 people received dental services and 200 underwent surgery.
“We thank God for the progress made so far, especially in rendering surgical services to beneficiaries.
“Our surgeons and specialists did their best to ensure that a lot of people were attended to.
“Our challenge is the crowd here, which is beyond what we can attend to, but we believe God will accept the little we were able to do” Salam said.
He thanked those who had contributed to the success of the programme in one way or the other.
In her remarks, a Family Physician and Surgeon, Dr Wulaimat Adekunle, said a lot of people in the society are facing health challenges, but could not seek care owing to lack of money.
Adekunle called on government and philanthropists to join hands with the organisation to assist less privileged people to access health care.
Mrs Abimbola Yemisi, whose two children benefitted from hernia surgery, appreciated ATF for the gesture, saying the surgery would have cost her more than N200,000, if done at the hospital.
Also speaking, Mr Amzat Ayobami,who benefitted from free eye services, said that he always had difficulty in reading before the eye care .
“But the free care offered by the organisation has solved that problem “, he said.
A resident of Ogun State, Mrs. Omifunke Ahmed whose 10-year-old son, Otekpo Ahmed, was operated on for hernia, also appreciated the organization for the gesture.
