An Indianapolis-based philanthropist organisation, Indiana, USA, Wecare Mission, has concluded arrangements to storm two towns in Rivers State beginning April 5, 2013, in a four-day medical mission expected to extend world-class medical attention to Africa’s underprivileged segments.
The choice of Rivers State is said to be to compliment the robust healthcare programme of the state government already acclaimed for the construction of 120 so far out of the proposed 160 world class healthcare centres around the state. The Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi administration is also pursuing an aggressive free healthcare drive especially for the young, aged and those in emergency.
The group, led by Fatima Madus, an Indianapolis-based Nigerian medical practitioner, is expected to move a number of volunteers and other volunteers in Nigeria to attend to medical and health emergencies in two locations in Rivers State; Saint Stephen’s Cathedral Church and Bonny Hospital for screening and surgeries.
Madus told BusinessDay that her team had already packed and shipped most of the medication and supplies needed in the medical intervention in Nigeria. Wecare Mission strives to mop up donations from ordinary individuals and groups especially couples in churches, giving out as low as $50, just to save lives in Africa. For 2012, the highest donation of $10,000 came from a church in Indianapolis.
It was gathered that Wecare Missions volunteers have attended to more than 12,000 patients since 2007 during yearly medical missions that not only provided consultation but also surgical interventions especially in cases of cataract, general ailments, obstetrics and gynecology.
An online profile of the organisation said Wecare Mission had conducted monthly screenings for five villages in Etsakor Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. A major finding was that almost all of the villagers seen were infected with malaria parasite. This seems to agree with the position of the Rivers State ministry of health that mosquitoes (malaria) remain the world’s most virulent killer, needing global collaborative efforts.
As if in response to this call, Wecare Mission’s healthcare team provides diagnosis and treatment for malaria. The team also pays good attention to diabetes and hypertension.
IGNATIUS CHUKWU
