I got a call on Saturday night about the need for two doctors to help out on a medical outreach the following day as a result of the indisposition of the already planned doctors who were involved in an accident, though not fatal. Luckily, I convinced my friend to volunteer himself along with me for the medical outreach, and thus, we set out from Ibadan to Igbeti, which was about a four-hour journey away. Was it worth it? Perhaps you can judge by the end of the little script.
Traveling (via public transport) down to Igbeti town in Oyo State with a population a little above a thousand residents was not a journey I looked forward to, especially since I had traveled just recently and my inability to withstand stress. The need was urgent as materials had been bought for the medical outreach, and postponing it to later dates may cost the organizers some conveniences, including financial ones.
We got to Igbeti town by 1 p.m., even though the outreach was to begin at noon, and immediately we got to work. We were given shirts that identified with the event. Igbeti town is mostly surrounded by rocks and mountains. I once visited the town in 2014 for an excursion on the rock. I would have loved to have had a similar experience, but work and time were against us.
THE OUTREACH
A talk to enlighten the participants was given by the organizer, and shortly after, the outreach began in earnest. There was the registration point, the laboratory section where simple tests like hepatitis B virus and malaria rapid diagnostic tests were carried out, the consultation section where my friend and I presided over, and lastly, the dispensary where a pharmacist oversaw.
The range of medications was limited in variety but enough in quantity for over-the-counter medications like antihypertensives, anti-diabetics, antimalarials, analgesics, etc. Special cases such as ophthalmology and a case of hydrocephalus were adequately referred to tertiary facilities for specialist care. I interacted with some patients and discovered they did not access the government hospital as a result of financial constraints. Such people were encouraged, as I made them see the importance of good health.
We worked up until about 6 p.m. and had to wrap up the outreach as interested participants kept turning up, not minding the time. Dusk was upon us, and we needed to leave for Ilorin, which was about 90 minutes away. We were ushered to dinner, where I ordered semolina and vegetable soup. The journey back to Ilorin was a bit hectic, as the driver was not comfortable with night travel. His car eventually broke down a little distance away from Ilorin, and we got an alternative vehicle that took us into town. I ended up getting home some minutes past 10 p.m., had my bath, and rested for the night after attending to a few urgent matters online.
My experience at the medical outreach revealed a far cry from universal health coverage despite interventions by the federal government through packages such as the vulnerable group funds and basic health care provision funds for the vulnerable. I hope there would be such opportunities like this to reach out to more communities laden with disease burdens while the government works in improving health care coverage.
ALL IMAGES ARE MINE
Thank you for reading. I would love to have your comments and contributions.
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