Abia to Provide Free Medical Care for 1,500 Residents in Five-Day Outreach

The Abia State Government, in collaboration with the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA), has announced a five-day free medical outreach expected to benefit about 1,500 residents across the state.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Enoch Uche, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing in Umuahia, noting that the programme is scheduled to run from April 13 to 17.

Uche said the initiative is in line with Governor Alex Otti’s healthcare agenda, which focuses on strengthening partnerships with diaspora medical professionals to enhance healthcare delivery and expand access to quality medical services in the state.

According to him, the outreach forms part of broader efforts to promote affordable, high-quality healthcare and advance universal health coverage for residents.

He explained that about 25 medical doctors from the United States, working alongside local health professionals, would participate in the exercise, offering a range of services including general consultations, gynaecological procedures, general surgeries, and eye surgeries for eligible patients.

The commissioner added that the programme is expected to deliver at least 1,500 medical consultations and about 100 surgical procedures within the five-day period.

He further disclosed that the initiative would include training for 80 health workers on basic life support and emergency response techniques aimed at improving frontline healthcare delivery in the state.

Uche also announced the Abia Healthcare Rebirth Initiative, designed to promote compassionate care, improved medical practice, and enhanced service delivery among health workers.

Meanwhile, the coordinator of the ANPA outreach, Uloaku Ukaegbu, said preparations for the programme had been completed, adding that over 250 residents had already registered for surgical procedures, pending final medical screening.