The Jennifer Etuh Foundation, in collaboration with Pro-Health International Africa, has carried out a major medical outreach in Tula village, Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State, providing free surgeries, circumcisions, and general medical care to more than 3,000 residents.

The five-day intervention targeted rural dwellers with limited access to healthcare and offered crucial support to less privileged patients across the community.

Programme Manager of the foundation, Mr. Joe Otu, said surgeons, medical doctors, and specialists in dental care, eye care, and gynaecology were deployed to attend to the large number of beneficiaries.

He disclosed that the outreach revealed a high prevalence of hernia, ulcer, eye defects, and dental problems among participants. The team also conducted circumcisions for children, treated malnourished kids, and attended to pregnant women to ensure safe delivery.

Otu added that while all 3,000 patients were treated on-site, those requiring advanced care were referred to tertiary hospitals, with the foundation covering the associated medical bills.

He noted that the foundation had built and equipped a community hospital in Tula three years earlier, which served as the centre for the outreach.

At the dental unit, Dr. Kinsley Eze identified poor oral hygiene—largely due to lack of access to toothpaste—as the major contributor to widespread dental issues in the village.

He said dentists provided professional tooth cleaning and taught residents proper oral care techniques.

Dr. Eze urged the public to brush their teeth twice daily—after breakfast and before bedtime—and undergo professional cleaning every six months to prevent tooth decay and detect issues early.

“Good oral hygiene and routine professional cleaning help protect the teeth from damage or loss,” he said.

Several beneficiaries expressed profound gratitude to the foundation, stating that the intervention provided relief they could not have afforded on their own.

Sarah Tafida, a 13-year-old JSS student born with a non-functional eye, was overjoyed after undergoing corrective surgery.

“I am so happy to see the doctor and get my eye fixed,” she said excitedly.

Grace Shedrack, who had battled severe dental pain for more than a decade, said she could now smile again after having two problematic teeth removed and replaced.

“I have been suffering for so long, but thanks to this foundation, I can now smile confidently,” she said.