Onitsha drug market partners Anambra govt on free medical outreach

The Onitsha Drug Market Head Bridge, popularly known as “Ogbogwu Market”, in partnership with the Anambra State Ministry of Health have organised a five-day free medical treatment outreach to improve the health condition of the traders.

The free medical treatment held in the market with two medical doctors, seven nurses, one optician and a pharmacist, as well as other medical personnel from the Anambra State Ministry of Health, excited the traders who besieged the hall with enthusiasm for treatments.

The outreach included high blood pressure checks, blood sugar and cholesterol screening, malaria testing, eye examinations and general health conditions.

Chukwuleta Ndubuisi, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the market, told our Correspondent that the exercise was his brainchild with other executive members in collaboration with the State Ministry of Health, which provided the medical personnel.

“Our primary aim was to impact good health on our traders, especially the low-income ones who cannot afford going to the hospital for medical treatments.

“Thus, we have already set up a well-equipped medical clinic with trained medical personnel from the state government in our union office for the traders to quickly access medical treatment when the need arises,” Ndubuisi said.

He said the response by the traders in the outreach was overwhelming, adding that not less than 3000 traders must have benefitted from the exercise.

“We didn’t consider the cost of drugs for the exercise, but were only interested in ensuring that the program positively impacted our traders’ good health, which is our primary target.

“But we would have spent over ₦5million to provide the necessary drugs for the exercise,” he said.

He expressed happiness for the huge turnout in the exercise, stressing that he was informed by the health personnel that many traders participated and went home with joy.