NARD, foundation collaborate on rural health care

The National Association of Resident Doctors in Nigeria (NARD) and the Senator Adegbenga Sefiu Kaka Foundation recently collaborated to provide free health care services to residents of Osunbudepo village in Ijebu-Igbo area of the state.The rural outreach programme was part of activities marking the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Scientific Conference of NARD.This year's conference was held at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, Ogun State, with the theme :Information and Communication Technology, impact on healthcare delivery.Speaking with the co-ordinator of the rural outreach, Dr Oyekunle Oyebisi, he said the programme was designed annually to cater for the health of people living in rural areas.The medical doctor commended the Foundation for coming to the assistance of the association in realising its desired objectives. No fewer than 70 medical doctors and some other health personnel were on ground to treat the residents.Some of the items donated on Thursday at the programme held at Osunbudepo Primary Healthcare Centres, were free insecticide nets, drugs, diabetes test, vaccination of children among others.He commended the Foundation for collaborating with the association to bring free health care to the grass roots.'It's a laudable gesture; we cannot do it alone and that's one of the agenda of NARD. We are ready to collaborate with whoever shares our aspiration.'The rural outreach is a design of NARD; we go to rural areas to do these things but the financial aspect makes it difficult and that is why we seek collaboration from people.'We are happy that Sen. Kaka has agreed and sponsored the rural outreach, which is a way of touching live."The healthcare system of the state has not really touched people at the grassroots.'We want to reach the people in the core rural areas so that they can feel our presence and the impact of government,' he added.The Senator, representing Ogun East said the gesture was part of his pledge to the electorate who elected him into office, adding that he will continueeven after office.He disclosed that the Foundation had covered the nine local governments with care given to no fewer than 10,000 people.'In the covered areas, we discovered that nearly 66 per cent of our people are hypertensive and 33 per cent are diabetic, so we are convinced that what we are doing is right,' he said.
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