Tuesday, 19th March 2024
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Ahmadiyyah youth advocates on health education

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Organisation, Nigeria (AMYON) has emphasized the need for a universal health care coverage, describing it as the best policy government can employ to address the health challenges confronting the nation.

President, Agege, Bldr. Ashimiyu-Towolawi (left); Amir, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at Nigeria, Dr. Mash’hud Adenrele Fashola and President Agdingbi Jama’at, Pa Musemilu Yusuf at the commissioning Agidingbi Mosque, Lagos.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Organisation, Nigeria (AMYON) has emphasized the need for a universal health care coverage, describing it as the best policy government can employ to address the health challenges confronting the nation.

A member of the group and medical practitioner, Dr. Nurudeen Akindele made the submission while attending to beneficiaries at free healthcare service organized by the group at Alhaji Kola Osho Primary Health Centre, Yaba, as part of hoghlights of the 46th Annual Convention of the society.

The gesture, he saidwas imperative for the survival of the less privileged people in the country.He bemoaned the Nigeria healthcare system, saying insurance is the solution to the deficit in the Nigeria healthcare delivery.“ It is a failure because the government is not doing enough.They keep making noise on universal health coverage. Let the government face the reality. Universal health coverage is possible in Nigeria and what we need is an insurance system to take it up.

“If there is health insurance policy, anybody can go to the hospital without the fear of hospital bill. If you have paid for your insurance for about ten years and you’ve not accessed treatment, there are people, who are sick virtually every month who will benefit from that savings.

“Remember a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. If Nigerian citizens are healthy then Nigerians will be wealthy. Health education is very essential. People need to come forward before their condition get too critical,” he said.On the proposed health insurance package of Lagos State, Akindele said the government should ensure the package covers a measurable percentage of people in the state.

“The reason is that there’s a national health insurance in the country, but at what percentage? The coverage is what is important. You can have a health insurance that is just limited to a small circle. That is not beneficial to the citizenry. They should expand it in a way that over 90 per cent of the people can benefit. That’s when we know that we have a good health insurance scheme,” said.He decried limited facilities as challenge of the medical outreach.“We are using a community healthcare centre where there’s no equipment to carry out the required surgical procedures,” he said.

The Assistant Health Officer of the Youth Wing, Dr. Abdul Azeez Alli, noted that the free medical service was inspired by the teaching of Islam which encourages giving back to the community through health care. He said the beneficiaries of the programme were tested for malaria, hypertension, blood pressure, fever, diabetes, cough, blood sugar and upper respiratory infection (URI) adding that they also offered counselling, consultation and free drugs.

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