Government at all levels, corporate bodies and well-to-do individuals have been encouraged to invest more in health sector.
Abdulkadir Ola Ahmed, a medical doctor and the chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kwara State chapter, made the call while answering questions from journalists.
Ahmed, who is the immediate past Vice President of the Ilorin Emirate Medical Group (IEMG), informed that the group has being assisting the needy with free and quality health care service delivery.
According to him, IEMG was set up in 2016 with over 300 members who are medical doctors from Ilorin Emirate and across globe with aim to provide free medical care to the less privileged in the society.
He added that members realised it was not enough for them to consult, attend to patients and go away but rather, to give back to the society for effective and efficient health care.
“We feel that a lot of our people are still ignorant about their health and what it takes to receive good health care. That is why we look at how we can give back to the society where we come from.
“We have our members in different states of Nigeria as well as Europe, America, South Africa among others working from where they are to render services to humanity.
“We usually engage in health education, sensitisation, medical and surgical intervention and as well groom members and encourage young generation to study Medicine and Nursing.
“Our members have done a lot of outreaches. In the last one year, we have attended to over one thousand people on different areas of health and medical supports and it was done through self-funding.”
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Ahmed, who promised the group will continue with the good job to ensure that people in the society who cannot afford medical bills get treated, further stated that, “we use this medium to call on well to do people in the society, corporate bodies and others to support us so that we can help the downtrodden in the community.
“A lot of people are there with health conditions that cannot even afford to go to hospital with N500. So bad to the extent that some patients will just come to the hospital with only their cards and to buy drugs for ordinary malaria becomes problem. These are the people we do assist,” Ahmed said.
In his submission, Adana Nurudeen Sulaiman, also a medical Doctor said they take advocacy to radio station for effective sensitisation so that people get to know how to prevent themselves from ailments.
“Prevention is better than cure and that is why we educate and enlighten our people every week and we are touching lives through intervention,” he said.
Another medical Doctor, Ahmed Abdullahi of FMC Abeokuta, emphasised on the need for improved support from the affluent
“We implore well meaning individuals to collaborate with us so as to reach to more patients. When people have access to information, adequate knowledge about their health and how to prevent disease, it will help a lot in ensuring a healthy society,” he said.
