For more than 350 residents of Kakuri community in Kaduna South Local Council Area, Kaduna State, access to healthcare came without the financial burden that often keeps vulnerable people away from hospitals.

The residents benefited from a humanitarian outreach organised by the Dankofa Foundation in partnership with Sakinah Medical Outreach.

Held at the District Head’s Office in Kakuri, the programme brought together medical personnel, community leaders and volunteers to provide consultations, medical tests, health education and free medication to residents.

The outreach featured blood pressure and blood sugar checks, malaria and tuberculosis tests, medical consultations and the distribution of free drugs.

The Kaduna State Ministry of Health also supported the exercise with its mobile testing laboratory truck.

Speaking at the programme, Vice Chairman of Sakinah Medical Outreach, Prof. Aisha Abubakar, said the organisation had spent the past 17 years supporting people across the country through financial assistance, medical treatment and other healthcare interventions.

She said the organisation had also facilitated overseas medical treatment for beneficiaries whose conditions required specialised care unavailable locally.

According to her, the interventions were designed to reach people who might otherwise struggle to afford essential medical services.

Prof Aisha described the partnership with Dankofa Foundation as part of Sakinah Medical Outreach’s broader commitment to serving underserved communities.

She stressed the importance of partnerships among organisations with similar humanitarian objectives to expand access to healthcare.

“We are pleased to partner with the Dankofa Foundation to continue this good work of reaching and supporting underserved communities. We will continue to partner with like-minded organisations in the service of humanity,” she said.

The Founder of Dankofa Foundation, Abdullahi Dankofa, who was represented by the foundation’s Programme Lead, Oliver Christopher, said the organisation had intensified its healthcare interventions since 2023 through medical outreaches, health education and hospital visits.

He said healthcare remained a major area of intervention because of its importance to the wellbeing of vulnerable people.

Dankofa added that the foundation’s programmes were designed not only to provide immediate medical assistance but also to promote preventive healthcare and health awareness within communities.

He said Sakinah Medical Outreach had contributed significantly to the programme by providing financial support, medical personnel and sustained assistance.

He urged beneficiaries to take the advice of medical personnel seriously and seek further medical attention whenever necessary.

The District Head of Kakuri Community and Ciroman Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Tijjani, commended both organisations for bringing free healthcare services directly to residents.

He described the initiative as a significant contribution to the wellbeing of vulnerable people who might otherwise struggle to access medical care.

According to him, the programme went beyond medical treatment by giving residents hope and helping to improve their quality of life.

The beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the organisations for providing free consultations, medical tests and drugs.

A beneficiary, Amina Yusuf, thanked the organisations for bringing healthcare services closer to the community and urged them to sustain the initiative.

Another beneficiary, Musa Aliu, said the medical checks, consultations and free drugs would encourage residents to pay greater attention to their health.

For many residents, the outreach offered more than free medical care. It provided an opportunity to receive attention and health information that might otherwise have remained beyond their reach.