Osun govt provides free healthcare for 21,834 residents

The Chief Medical Director of the University of Osun Teaching Hospital, Prof. Peter Olaitan, on Tuesday said that over 21,834 residents of Osun State have benefited from the free medical services provided by the state government.

Olaitan at a news conference on Tuesday in Osogbo, said that the free healthcare services tagged “Imole Free Medical and Surgical treatment”, was organised between February and April to mark the first 100 days in office of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

The director said that no fewer than 200 health workers from secondary and tertiary health institutions participated in the programme.

Olaitan, Chairman of a 10-man committee constituted by the governor for the free health care, said that the medical team engaged in intensive medical care throughout the period of the exercise.

He said that ailments of various kinds were treated, and different surgeries were performed on the beneficiaries.

Olaitan, who noted that free eye care was given during the exercise, said many patients were provided with free eye glasses and eye surgery was performed on patients suffering from related ailments.

He said the medical personnel comprising of medical doctors, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists and other health workers all worked assiduously to ensure the success of the programme.

The chief medical director said that though the programme was flagged off in Iwo on Feb.15, the medical team visited all the nine federal constituencies in the state, providing medical care, general and eye surgical procedures for the people.

“A total of 21,834 citizens of the state benefited from the programme. A breakdown shows that 10,543 benefited from medical care, 9,133 benefitted from free eye care and 1,453 people benefited from general surgical care.

“Of the patients with eye care issues, 705 of them had eye surgery, while 2,415 were given free eye glasses,” he said.

Olaitan commended the governor for the initiative and its execution, and also expressed gratitude to all health workers who participated in the programme.

He also thanked all the citizens who put their trust in the professional abilities of the medical experts.

NAN