In the aftermath of the fuel subsidy removal, governments at various levels have introduced some palliative measures to cushion the harsh effects on lives and livelihood of the people.
While federal and state governments have been exploring the cash transfers and food distribution model, the Ibeju Lekki Local Council administration in Lagos State launched a free medical services and subsidy relief initiative with five components.
For residents of the council, however, the commencement of the free medical checks and drugs distribution has been greeted with immense joy and appreciation. This is because the majority of residents, who have been beneficiaries since the programme began about three weeks ago, are indigents who cannot afford high costs of medicare.
Speaking at the flag-off of the initiative, the Council Chairman, Engr. Abdullahi Sesan Olowa, noted that the programme was in line with the Council’s policy of providing palliatives for its citizens as well the directive of the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“We launched our subsidy relief initiative about two weeks ago and that initiative has about five components. Medical is one of it; and today, we are flagging of the distribution of free drugs and provision of free medical check-up for our people.
“Coincidentally, we just renovated and equipped this health centre in Aiyeteju.
The environment of the Aiyeteju PHC here is conducive. We have the male and female wards, the delivery and labour room, and the laboratory. This hospital has the facilities to manage basic health conditions and our intention is to run it as a 24-hour facility. We have two of this kind of health facility already in our local council, which are in Ibeju and Awoyaya. But we are converting Aiyeteju to a 24-hour health facility so we can have three PHCs rendering 24-hour service.
“So, we are using Aiyeteju PHC as the flag-off point. However, the free services are being replicated across all our Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC). We are doing the same thing in Iberekodo, Ibeju, Awoyaya, Lakowe and Bokije.”
Visits to the other PHCs showed residents who had turned out in large numbers and were being attended to by medical personnel, with patients deserving of drugs being administered for free.
One of the nurses at the Aiyeteju PHCs who spoke with The Guardian, disclosed that a good number of residents had turned up to check their blood pressure and sugar level.
“If we discover that your sugar level is abnormal, we have drugs for you. It is the same for blood pressure.”
The laboratory is well-equipped; we also test for typhoid, malaria and some other things, all free of charge,” she added. Speaking further, the Council boss, Olowa said the uniqueness of the free mediacl programme was the fact that the PHCs were treating ailments that would ordinarily have required residents to spend so much money.
“For example, high sugar level is a very difficult and expensive ailment to treat, but in the PHCs right now, we have free drugs for it, including for equipment and drugs for treating diabetes, high blood pressure and high blood sugar,” he said.
A beneficiary of the initiative, Rebecca Adekunle, who spoke with The Guardian shortly after having a blood check in Aiyeteju, said “the service here has been impressive, the council administration has done well for us.”
It was the same testimony from Mrs Joy Christopher, who had been running some tests At Aiyeteju PHC before the flag-off of the free medical services. She expressed delight that she no longer had to pay bills, while also commending the efforts of the council. “God would bless them because a lot of people are indigent around here and cannot afford basic medicare,” she noted.
Interestingly, Olowa disclosed that the free medical services are not ending anytime soon. According to him, the initiative would be progressive and would be determined by events as they unfold in the country.
“Currently the economic hardship occasioned by the removal of subsidy is what governments at all levels are dealing with. What we are doing here is in line with the directives of Mr Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu that all PHCs should offer free drugs, medical check-ups and free delivery. Aside from complying with the directive, as a government we are also very concerned and we care about our people. This position is further strengthened by the fact that since this medical outreach started, we have discovered a lot of people with medical conditions in need of urgent attention.
“So, I want to advise residents to remain calm; there is no need to rush. This is going to be a continuous process and we would be restocking progressively as supplies go down,” Olowa said.
