The government of Oyo State has organised a free medical outreach for residents, who turned out in their numbers, as part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the state.
The free medical outreach, which ran concurrently in the Primary Healthcare Centers across the state’s 33 local government areas, recorded a large turnout of residents who came out to access the services and free drugs offered at the outreach.
The Chairman of the Planning Committee, Saheed Akinade-Fijabi, who led other members to monitor the service delivery, after accessing care at the Primary Health Care, Bashorun, Ibadan, disclosed that the decision to include free healthcare as a core part of the Golden Jubilee programme was driven by the understanding that good health is fundamental to productivity and wellbeing.
He noted that no society can thrive if its people are unhealthy, saying the initiative was designed to give back to the citizens who have sustained the state over the past five decades.
The Chairman revealed that residents across all 33 local government areas have been responding positively to the outreach, with people from different age groups, young and old, trooping out to access the free services.
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Akinade-Fijabi said: “The turnout is impressive as it is evidenced. The programme is timely and relevant, coupled with the fact that the initiative reflects the compassionate vision of Governor Seyi Makinde, who insisted that the healthcare services be provided free of charge to ease the burden on citizens.”
He acknowledged that while resources must be prudently managed, the government considered the health of the people too important to overlook, noting that the outreach underscores the administration’s commitment to ensuring that the Golden Jubilee is not just about celebration, but also about meaningful impact on the lives of the people.
On her part, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Broadcast, Mrs Bose Sodiq, described the free medical outreach as a deliberate effort by the state government to give back to society, particularly to residents who often avoid hospitals because they cannot afford medical bills.
She said: “Many Nigerians live with untreated health conditions due to financial constraints. The free services were introduced to encourage people to check their health status and seek timely medical care without fear of cost.”
Mrs Sodiq disclosed that visits to some primary healthcare centers showed that over 200 patients had already been attended to, while reports from other local government areas indicated similarly high turnout, attributing the massive participation to effective media engagement, particularly radio announcements, which helped to raise awareness about the outreach. She asserted that cases beyond the capacity of primary healthcare centers were referred to secondary and tertiary health facilities for further treatment, saying the government has put measures in place to ensure continuity of care.
Mrs Sodiq said the free medical outreach is not a one-off initiative, as the Makinde administration regularly organises similar programmes in line with the governor’s people-focused philosophy, urging residents who were yet to take advantage of the programme to do so as no payment is required at any of the designated centers.
In separate remarks, some residents of Alafara, Bashorun, and Oranyan, in Ibadan, who participated in the exercise, expressed appreciation to the state government, describing the initiative as timely and impactful.