–Didi Etta
Linda Ayade, wife of the Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, is presently working through, Mediatrix Development Foundation, MDF, her non-governmental organization, NGO, in collaboration with FaithCare Outreach International on a five-day medical outreach to people in the Northern Senatorial District of the state.
The medical outreach which is holding at the General Hospital, Obudu, is targeting medical service delivery to people in far flung Obudu, Ogoja, Yala, Obanliku and Bekwara local government areas respectively.
Theresa Akpagu, a senior citizen in the area, revealed in an interview that she came to avail herself of the expert medical services on offer and especially thanked the First Lady for ameliorating the medical related sufferings of the people of the senatorial district.
Nigerian Director of Faithcare Outreach Imternational, Yinkudi Monday, who also spoke, said their organisation is a faith base NGO, doing free surgeries and offering allied medical services to patients. This collaboration with MDF was consciously done to bring medical services to the people in rural communities.
A patient who came with his wife informed happily that apart from the free surgery done on his wife, he was also given drugs and lenses to cater to his sight problems. He thanked the wife of the governor and her team for coming to his family’s aid and prayed God to bless her abundantly.
Several patients also expressed joy and satisfaction at the medical services so far provided, adding that the initiative was timely as a lot of people cannot afford paid for treatment because of the present economic challenges.
At press time, more than one thousand people have consulted, been counselled, accessed dental, optical and laboratory services, as well as had surgeries done on them for free. The outreach which began this past Monday, will last till Friday, February 23, 2018.