By Elijah Ugani: Health Correspondent Follow @Elijah_ugani
In a rather dramatic turn of events at the ongoing medical outreach by the Mediatrix Development Foundation and Faithcare Foundation in Obudu, wife of Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River, Dr. Linda Ayade on Thursday scrubbed in to assist colleagues in the surgeries performed on some patients.
“It is not about organizing an outreach, we have to show commitment to our program,” Dr. Linda told journalists and stressed that her passion for the health of the masses was unwavering.
Earlier, a standing ovation accompanied with thunderous applauses had welcomed her to the General Hospital Obudu where the outreach is being carried out.
Shouts of “thank you, God bless you and welcome” in the local Bette dialect rented the air and Dr. Linda who founded MDF visited the wards, cheered recuperating patients; of which one Yakubu Victoria who had a surgical operation on her goitre pleaded to hug Mrs. Ayade who smiled and shook her hand as she could not stand up.
She then set up at the consulting room where she attended to a few patients.
The outreach began in 2016 and Dr. Linda told journalists that the next phase will be in the southern senatorial district and dismissed insinuations that the outreach had a political undertone.
“It has to do with the health of the people, I have started this outreach in 2016 at the Central Senatorial District of the state, it was held at Ikom and Ugep and now we are in the Northern part of the state, we will go to the south soon,” she said.
Also, she expressed worry over the number of children aged two to seven years operated upon due to hernias.
She was later conducted round the various department in the hospital with the medical superintendent wondering why the people of Obudu have refused to visit the hospital despite being stocked with state-of-the-art equipment, and called on the Government to put in place measures that will enhance effective utilization of the facilities in the hospital.
As at Thursday night, the general services and drugs unit has attended to 1,943 patients; surgery, 113; eye unit, 294; laboratory services, 306 and dental unit, 95 patients.
This comes a few days after Dr. Linda was unveiled as pioneer survival ambassador in Nigeria by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The endorsement is as a result of her commitment to give hope and succor to children through her office and her pet projects implemented by her foundation, the MDF says a statement from her office.
A two man UNICEF team consisting of the Chief of Health, Dr. Sanjana Bhardwaj and the Chief Field Officer – Social Policy, Dr. Ibrahim Khalil Conteh who disclosed this to Dr. Linda said that recent survey shows that Cross River State currently has the best child survival Indices in Nigeria.
The meeting came after she had told a delegation from Pathfinders International led by the President and Chief Executive Officer, Lois Quam that the main objective of the collaboration with partners is to improve the maternal and child mortality indices in the State.
“The main objective of this synergy with our development partners is to improve on the maternal and child mortality indices in the State.
“Children are our future, and when we make conscious and continuous effort to give them a better, we are indirectly investing in our future as a nation.” She said and applauded PI for collaborating with the State Government to upgrade facilities in the State with state-of-the-art equipment.
Also, the PI country director, Dr. Farouk Jega; chief of administration, Bruce Kuhlik and state program manager, Dr. Yemisi Femi-Pius formed part of the delegation.
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