Ill-fated Medical Outreach: Abia Clamps Down On Organizers

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Following a medical outreach gone awry, the Abia State Government, late on Sunday, November 24, banned any future exercises without the approval of the State Ministry of Health.

A supposedly humanitarian exercise on Saturday November, 23, 2024, led to the hospitalization of over 100 beneficiaries in Abiriba, Ohafia Local Council of the State.

The victims were among several hundreds of locals administered with free drugs by a non state actor at the Community’s Erinma Hall in the City Centre.

However, many of the recipients were said to have developed varying reactions and ailments, which resulted in their hospitalization at a medical facility within the vicinity, Ebube Ena Hospital.

The newly elected Mayor of Ohafia Local Government, Chief Eleanya Kalu,  swiftly mobilised for the victims to be given medical assistance after the incident.

The development instantly led to  tension and apprehension within the affected community and the entire state.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Health, the Abia State Government, expressed surprise that Medical Outreaches could be staged without reference to the appropriate regulatory bodies .

The statement signed by the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, also regretted the large number of victims of the ill-fated medical programme.

The Commissioner maintained that before embarking on the medical outreach, organizers never contacted or sought the approval the State’s Ministry of Health.

He described as dangerous the distribution and administration of drugs by unauthorized and uncertified persons and groups under the guise of a medical outreach.

According to the Health Ministry’s statement, all future medical outreaches and related activities must have the approval of the authorities.

The Commissioner warned that defaulters will be made to face the full weight of the law as the State authorities will not allow public health to be endangered.

Prof Uche informed that preliminary findings have revealed that drugs distributed and administered during the said medical outreach led to adverse reactions among the beneficiaries .

He further explained that identified victims have been moved to Government medical facilities for proper attention.

“Our dedicated healthcare personnel are working assiduously to stabilise and treat affected people.

“The Abia State Ministry of Health is deeply concerned about the dire consequences and high risk posed by unauthorized healthcare activities.

“We wish to hereby warn the public to be cautious of individuals and groups organizing unapproved healthcare events”, Prof Uche stated.

The Source reports that many political actors and other self acclaimed philanthropists have been in the habit of staging  medical outreaches targeting unsuspecting and vulnerable locals.

Most of the programmes are usually driven by the selfish desire to build political  capital and reap one personal benefit or the other by most of the actors.