RCCG begins construction of PHC for Daki Biu rural community

*Offers free medical services

*As Cleric decries high rate of preventable deaths among rural dwellers

Tasks FG, states on functional needs of primary healthcare facilities

Worried by the absence of any healthcare facilities in Daki Biu, an urban slum community located in Jabi District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), City of David, has commenced the construction of a four-bed Primary Healthcare Center in the community to reduce the high incidence of deaths from preventable ailments.

The community, which is in the heart of the nation’s seat of power has over 8000 residents but lacked basic amenities

Speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony of the PHC and the free medical outreach in the community at the weekend, the pastor-in-charge of the City of David, RCCG, Gbolade Okenla, lamented that a lot of Nigerians die of preventable illnesses in most rural communities in the country due to lack of access to health care services.

He explained that the church during its medical outreach in the community in May 2022, noticed that there was no single health facility in the community, and decided that it will come and build a primary health care centre, adding that the Parish will be sponsoring the health centre and will be sending medical teams four times in a week to enable residents have access to free medical services.

Okenla called on the federal government to establish primary healthcare centres across communities in the country, adding that the provision of such facilities will give Nigerians access to healthcare access services and reduce the burden on secondary and tertiary health facilities.

He said: “There are a lot of pregnant women and people with minor diseases that shouldn’t lead to death but due to lack of N500, N1000 or even N2000 to move out of the community is causing people to die. We are coming today to have a free medical outreach as part of our Christian Social Responsibility and to let the people know that even though the government might have neglected them, we have not forgotten them. So, we have come to show compassion, love and to let them know that we know they exist and we care about them.”

Okenla stated that the free medical outreach which the church conducted was part of its 10th-anniversary celebration in line with the Church’s Social Responsibility as mandated by the General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye.

Speaking on the medical outreach, the head of the church’s medical team, Dr Ado Theophilus, said the team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other support staff from the church decided to carry out the exercise to treat many of the 8000 residents of the community who couldn’t afford such medicare.

He observed the prevalence of malaria, skin diseases, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, seizure disorder and others in the community including, two cases of infection that could have resulted in amputation if not for the medical intervention.

On how to sustain the four-bed medical facility, he said the church and the community are working on the modalities to appoint medical personnel who will manage it.

A recipient of the medical treatment, Lydia Ukeme, said she was happy to receive treatment for her ailment and the scans ran on her. She called on the government to do more to enhance public health.

“Thank God when I came here, I met with the doctors and nurses, they were very loving in attending to us. They ran tests on us and gave us the drugs. So, I am happy that I didn’t pay for the treatment”, she said.

Similarly, a resident of Daki Biu, Nasiru Abubakar, said he was treated for high blood pressure and discharged.

He said, “One of my friends told me that they are giving free medicare at the Daki Biu Primary School and I came and received mine.”