US-Based Medical Practitioners Provide Free Medical Treatment To Sick, Elderly Anambra Residents

By Chuks Eke

The Okaro family of Uru Village, Ogidi in Anambra State’s Idemili North Local Government Area, in collaboration with some United States of America, USA-based medical practitioners under the auspices of Lifted Hands Incorporated, has launched a two-day free medical outreach for the people of the Ogidi community and beyond.

The group’s gesture not only honours their late mother, Mrs. Okaro, who died in 2012, but also promotes access to quality healthcare for the elderly and young to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Moses Okaro, the group’s President and Founder, stated that the three-day free general tests for over 4,000 patients began on Friday and that the outreach was very committed to assisting people in getting free medications and surgeries for ailments such as eye problems, diabetes, malaria, high blood pressure, and mental health checks.

Okaro stated that the programme was designed for those who could not afford medical treatments, and that over 4,000 people had already been screened and are awaiting treatment.

He explained that the initiative, which has been running for 15 years, is an annual event in memory of their late mother, Gladys Okaro.

He went on to say that approximately 15 medical personnel from the United States were on the ground to assist local medical practitioners in carrying out the programme.

He stated, “Today, we returned home to conduct medical outreach for the people in our community, and we will address all of their medical concerns.

“This year’s outreach will include free eye surgeries, free eye exams, free medical checkups, diabetes tests, malaria tests, high blood pressure tests, and mental health assessments.

“We will also feed over 2,000 people during the programme, and we have already begun distributing clothing, shoes, eyeglasses, slippers, books, pencils, biro, and detergent.

“Primary and secondary school students are the first to benefit from free books and other writing supplies.

“We discovered that eye problems are the most common among the cases detected on people, and so far, approximately 10 people have been screened for eye surgery, with the hope that the number will increase before the end of today’s exercise.”

Another member of the group, Ekenem Okaro, a nurse in the United States, stated that the medical outreach is in memory of their late mother, who began this journey by helping the poor.

She stated, “We have to key into the programme to sustain it, though this time we have expanded it beyond our community, even across the country.

“Last year, there were 40 eye surgeries spillover that need to be performed in this year’s edition.”

One of the beneficiaries, Elisha Mbamalu, thanked the Okaro family for sponsoring the free medical outreach and prayed that God would continue to strengthen them in all ways.

Mbamalu stated that he received a free eye test and glasses to help him improve his reading skills.