Over 300 traders in Ogbogonogo market, Asaba, Delta State, received free medical treatment and drugs, among others, to mark World Hypertension Day.
The free medical outreach was organised, on Saturday, by a member representing Oshimili South Local Government in Delta State House of Assembly, Bridget Anyafulu, in collaboration with Asaba Specialist Hospital to mark World Hypertension Day.
Flagging off the free medical services, Anyafulu said services are being carried out in conjunction with Asaba Specialist Hospital with a view to make her constituents healthy.
She said, “I have brought these doctors and nurses and other medical workers to you in the market because of your busy schedule. You don’t have time to check your health status.
“We have come here in conjunction with Asaba Specialist Hospital to make sure that you are healthy.
“These days, you hear that somebody is working or selling and suddenly fall and die because he or she has not been checking his or her BP.
“We have a case of a woman in this Ogbogonogo, by the time we took her to Asaba Specialist Hospital, and we were referred to Enugu, eventually we lost her, so I feel that we have not been following up on the health status of these traders”
She disclosed that efforts are on the way to enroll the market men and women in Ogbogonogo in the state insurance scheme.
Also, the Chief Medical Director of ASH, Peace Ighosewe said today was a day set aside by WHO to create awareness about hypertension, saying that hypertension is a major killers of people especially young people these days, then the elderly.
“We, the Asaba Specialist Hospital, felt to collaborate with Bridget Anyafulu member representing Oshimili South in the House of Assembly to carry out an awareness exercise and free medical services to the people in Ogbogonogo market.
“We are checking their blood pressure, telling them what hypertension is, why is important to know your number, and then, we are also checking for the sister of hypertension. When you hear of hypertension, you hear diabetes. They usually go together, and when both of them combined, the outcome is very bad” he added.
Speaking further, the Special Assistant on health matters, Chukwemaka Obiazor, thanked the donors for this gesture, noting that hypertension is one of the common illnesses among Nigerians.
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