The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has decried that many Nigerians die of treatable diseases because of poverty and paucity of quality healthcare services.
Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, stated this through his Senior Legislative Aide, Bunmi Oguntuase, in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Friday, while rounding off the second phase of his free medical outreach across the district’s five local government areas.
The Senator called for an improved primary healthcare system to reduce mortality rate in the country and appealed to state governors to prioritise the health needs of people at the grassroots.
No fewer than 9,400 persons reportedly benefited from the second outreach, while 6,600 constituents were said to had benefited from the first phase of the programme undertaken in partnership with the Industrial Arbitration Panel.
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The beneficiaries were diagnosed and treated for ailments like hepatitis, hypertension, visual problems, diabetes and hernia, while free eyeglasses were given to those suffering from all manners of visual impairments.
Bamidele said: “Poor access of many Nigerians to quality healthcare remains a snag in the attainment of universal health coverage. Let me advise our governors to invest more in the primary healthcare sector that remains the closest to the poor masses.
“What we are doing is to give succour to those being afflicted by diseases who don’t have the means to seek medical treatments.
“Going by what some of the beneficiaries said, most of them had been experiencing the sicknesses for years, but today, they have been treated. Those with chronic health issues have been referred to better hospitals and we are ready to foot the bills to give our people the dividends of democracy they deserve.”
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