A University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)-trained medical laboratory scientist, The Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China has connected back to his profession by partnering with a non-governmental organization, Pilgrims Africa Health Foundation (PAHF) to extend medical services to the needy.

The Foundation, which is said to be connected with Dr Ikechukwu Odoh, the Medical Director of Meridien Hospital in D-Line, Port Harcourt, seeks to tackle the poor access to healthcare in Nigeria.

This year’s edition of the annual outreach, which is also known as Sower’s Support Initiative and held on Saturday, December 23, 2023, attracted the Mayor of Housing.

Speaking, Coordinator of the programme, Chioma Nnadi, who represented Dr Ikechukwu Odoh, explained that the objective is to support and sponsor a free medical outreach and free eye test at the Port Harcourt Polo Club.

She further explained that the vision is to pursue the actualization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3; which is to “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”, a key objective of the United Nations which sees healthcare as a fundamental right.

According to a programme brochure approved by the Medical Director, high cost of medicare and other factors have conspired to deny many citizens of the world this right, saying this has thus reduced access to healthcare only to those who can afford it.

“The result is that many who should live longer end up dying sooner. Governments around the world have tried to mitigate this by putting insurance schemes, yet health insurance is not working in Nigeria. This has put healthcare far above many.

“Healthcare is thus scarce in the rural areas and records say over one million persons die every year as a result of malaria alone.”

To battle the menace, the Pilgrims Africa Health Foundation stepped out to seek out men and women of goodwill as well as organizations to deliver healthcare needs to the less privileged across the country. “We are motivated by the desire to be part of the global effort to change the world for the better.

“We also have the mission of upholding accountability, transparency, and non-profit integrity in what we do and say, and accept responsibility.”

“It also desires to create a purpose-driven community medical outreaches that feature public health talks and lectures (on Diabetes, Malaria, HIV, Nutrition & Personal hygiene); free medical consultations; free laboratory checks; free medications and medical consumables, and subsidized surgical operations.”

The core focal areas, the foundation stated, include healthcare, education, and youth empowerment in capacity building. “We are professionally and technically equipped and mentally poised to execute the above project to achieve its purpose to the optimum.”

The scheme works to deliver its objectives with equipment facilities such as ambulances, volunteer movement, equipment, drugs/medicines, consumables, hotel accommodation, feeding, publicity, etc.

In his remarks, the Mayor of Housing, who has his footprints in several critical areas of the economy, said the scheme is a dream come true for him.

“I am a medical lab scientist, and one of the reasons I resigned from the medical practice was because I believe in a kind of charity and business balancing in medicine. I had always dreamt to have much money to do free treatment.”

He said the major reason he chose this foundation is because Dr Odoh is his first Medical Director and the first person that gave him a chance after graduation from university.

“He made me to work in Meridien Hospital in Port Harcourt. I mean the opportunity to partner with my former Medical Director was an opportunity I could not pass.  And it is an opportunity to live a little bit of my dream.

“Not only am I doing this today, I will continue to do this every year. Personally, if we had a functional government, healthcare would be free or close to that. So, this is an opportunity to give a little back to the society, amongst other corporate social responsibility programmes we are doing in the society.”

The Pilgrims Africa Health Foundation Programme Coordinator said the foundation’s focal areas are healthcare and socioeconomic development, saying that they were at the Port Harcourt Polo Club to administer free medical outreach which includes free dispensation of drugs, medical consultation, laboratory tests, vital sign checks, eye glasses, and eye drops, amongst others.

She disclosed that the foundation’s International President, Dr Ikechukwu Odoh decided that the scheme, which began in 2013, should be a way of reaching out to people.

“Dr Odoh is a philanthropist that loves to reach out to people and then he thought of something extra. It is something he does normally but now he decided to do this formally through a channel which is Pilgrims Africa Health Foundation to reach out to people, to touch lives, to be a sower in the society, hence that’s the reason for this initiative.”

She said there have been no challenges and that the environment was not hostile at all. She affirmed that the beneficiaries did not pay anything. “You just tell us what you want to do, and then a doctor sees you; the nurses will see you first, then you do your lab test, and then you see the general practitioner.”

On support and sponsorship, Nnadi said: “Yes, MY-ACE China is known everywhere. He is a sponsor and also K.O Baba Jornsen. Dr Odoh, my boss, is also a sponsor of this event from the information gathered.

“I just want to pray God to bless the Mayor of Housing. One thing with giving is that it has to do with the heart. It doesn’t have to do with the amount of money you have. So, God bless you for deciding to sponsor this great event, reaching out to people is something that I take very personal and I pray that God will continue to increase his pocket.

“For K.O.Baba, he is a very  good host if  you ask me. He’s a good man whose good works have spoken for him in Rivers State. That is why I pray that God will continue to prosper him.

“For Dr Odoh, God will continue to repay him for every person he has reached out to.”

She said Pilgrims Africa Health Foundation has virtually been to all the 36 states of the federation and to different communities in Rivers State. “We are looking at spreading our tentacles to Africa as our name implies. Our head office is here in Rivers State but Africa is in view.”

Some of the beneficiaries praised God and the sponsors including Godgift Joseph, who poured appreciation on Pilgrims Africa Health Foundation and the sponsors.

“My contact with them today was a very rewarding one in terms of health. My vital signs were taken, my blood sugar level was tested, and at the end I met medical personnel who gave me free health consultation and drugs including some medication, malaria drugs and hypertensive drugs because my blood pressure was a bit high. They advised me on things to do and things to avoid.”

She said the medical care was of very high quality and the conduct of the personnel very good. “They have a good medical team here. My moment with them is rewarding.”

A male patient, Silver Kings, said the treatment he got was topnotch. “I am absolutely overwhelmed by the treatment given to me. They are hospitable and nice. What I have to say is God bless them for this kind gesture. I also want to solicit if it’s possible for other foundations to also follow suit to help support this very nice course.”

He said he did not pay any charges or pass through any processes to be selected for treatment, describing the outreach as transparent.”

It has thus become obvious that more medical outreaches are needed in Nigeria to meet medical care demands in the face of skyrocketing costs.