Association tasks Ogun govt on special healthcare package for indigents

The National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) in Ogun has tasked the state government to establish a special healthcare package for indigent persons in the state.

The group contended that the special healthcare package would address the rising cases of quackery in the state.

The Chairman of the association, Dr Oluwatosin Durojaye, made this known while addressing newsmen during a medical outreach in Ala-Idowa, in Ijebu on Monday.

He said that quackery had thrived due to lack of access to free healthcare by indigent persons in society.

Durojaye explained that many residents, especially the rural dwellers, patronised operators of illegal health facilities in the state because they lacked the financial wherewithal to seek qualitative healthcare services.

“Many of these rural dwellers don’t even want to patronise qualitative healthcare because of financial constraints, so they patronise anyone who will give it to them at a cheaper rate.

“This has given rise to the number of quacks in our profession. Government needs to make this special healthcare packages available to them to address these issues,” he said.

According to Durojaye, no fewer than 200 patients had been attended to, with 40 surgeries to be carried out during the two-day medical outreach.

He added that series of tests including Hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, urine, height and weight among others were conducted.

The NAGGMDP chairman said that those who tested positive for any disease would be referred to appropriate facilities for further medical treatment while those with minor ailments were treated and given free drugs.

He said that the medical outreach would be extended to other zones in the state in order to benefit more residents of the state.