Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas has kicked off its one-week medical outreach in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
Team Lead and President of ANPA, Dr. Chinyere Anyaogu, told journalists that the mission of the association was to help the needy access free medical care in line with her ‘A Healthier Nigeria, a Healthier World’ vision.
She added that the vision of the association is in line with the vision of Governor Alex Otti and assured that they would be able to achieve their goal in the medical mission.
She enthused, “We strive to help the needy and provide healthcare to those who are not able to afford it. ANPA week is a week of service delivery. It also encompasses capacity building and advocacy.”
Mission Chair, Dr. Dele Ekunsanmi, said team members are making personal sacrifices in the mission, adding that the medical mission is one of the ways of giving back to the society.
He added that they are committed to affecting lives positively through the medical mission.
He said, “We have about 60 volunteer doctors from United States and we have more than 100 volunteers locally here in Nigeria.”
Abia State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, said that the state government is committed to partnering ANPA and other Abia medical personnel overseas to provide the needed medical services to Abia people, adding that the state government projected about N200 million for the medical mission, currently on-going in the state.
Briefing newsmen in Umuahia to flag off the mission, involving over 60 medical professionals from America and beyond, Dr. Okoronkwo said, “It may fall short or be more. We have to set up operating rooms to accommodate more surgeons who are going to come.”
She disclosed that the state government is planning to set up medical village and has started working on health workers salaries and engaging more people in the system, stating, “We are working on the arrears of salaries to make them to stay (and not japa).”
The state, she said is keying into the trainings of ANPA and others in diaspora, stating, “We have sustainability plan for the system. ANPA is ready to support by training doctors through Zoom. They will train and transfer expertise and will partner the state government in setting up facilities.
“We have a health-loving governor. On this project which actually started last year, already, 5,000 patients have registered; while more than 300 surgeries have been registered, including patients with goiter at various stages.”
She added that the medical mission is an extension of what Governor Otti has already started doing in the area of healthcare delivery.
Dr. Okoronkwo assured that all patients that would be attended to during the medical mission would be followed up by the Abia State government, through the various General Hospitals, where they registered for the medical outreach.
She disclosed that ANPA would not only carry out surgeries and attend to other medical issues, but would conduct CPD training for about 200 medical doctors and other medical personnel. She added that ANPA would also be training medical personnel in Abia through telemedicine after the medical mission in the state.
The commissioner said the state government has started plans for upward review of the salaries of medical personnel in the state to reduce the number of those leaving for greener pastures abroad.
She added that government is looking forward to assisting a lot of people in getting healthcare and disclosed that about 5,000 patients registered for the medical outreach, while above 300 registered for surgeries.
Dr. Okoronkwo, who revealed that patients are being treated and surgeries conducted at FMC, Abia State Specialist Hospital, Amachara General Hospital and Madonna Hospital, appreciated ANPA team members for their interest in Abia and for also providing consumables for the medical mission.
She said, “As a government, we are trying as much as we can to reduce the number of people leaving the system and to that effect, we have started working on the heath workers’ salaries to improve and increase their salaries and also to engage more people into the system. All the people that were registered came through a process.
“We are very intentional in our administration. This is not the kind of mission, whereby after attending to people, they leave and you don’t know where they are. And to that effect, all the people that were registered came through a structured process that is already in existence. So, the general hospitals are aware of them, they are going to continue to follow up on them until they make full recovery.”
Chairman, Local Organizing Committee of ANPA 2024 Medical Mission and CMD, FMC, Umuahia, Prof. Azubuike Onyebuchi, Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Information and Culture and Ministry of Health, Dr Chris Onwuegbu and Dr. Ify Uma-Kalu, respectively, among others, were present at the press conference.
Peoplesmind
