By Eche Nwaobasi-Nnewi
The leadership of drugs market head bridge Onitsha Otherwise known as Ogbogwu market last Tuesday in conjunction with Anambra state Ministry of Health kicked off a five-day free medical treatment outreach for all traders of the market who cannot afford medical treatment in the hospitals.
The free medical treatment which was being carried out inside the hall of the headquarters of the market with two medical doctors, seven nurses, one optician and a pharmacist as well as other lesser medical personnels from Anambra State Ministry of Health dispensing the required treatment excited the traders who besieged the hall with enthusiasm for treatments .
Speaking to journalists about the exercise, Mr. Chukwuleta Ndubuisi, the chairman of the market said the free medical treatment outreach was the brainchild of his and his executive, stating that the program is been put together by the market executives in collaboration with the Anambra state Ministry of Health who provided all the medical personnel involved in the treatment of patients while the executive of the market provided the logistics.
He noted that his primary aim and his executives to initiate the programme was to make an impact on lives of traders, especially the low income earners who cannot afford medical treatments adding that apart from this that his executives had earlier set up a medical clinic which is also sited inside their headquarter all geared to make impacts on lives of traders which he said is part of their leadership responsibilities.
On response of traders to the free medical treatment programme and what will be the outcome in terms of cost, he explained that responses of traders are overwhelmingly positive, adding that from what he gathered from the medical personnel handling the programme that not less than five hundred people have been treated on the first day, and expressed optimism that they are hoping that at the end of the five day programme that more than three thousand people will be treated.
On what they are estimating that programme will cost them at the end of the exercise, he stated that though they knew that the program will cost them a lot, he stated that they are not looking at the the huge cost but are interested on how majority of traders in the market will be able to access the treatments.
While saying that they are prepared for the success of the program, lhe expressed happiness on the response of traders to the exercise, saying that he was reliably informed by the health personnel conducting the exercise that more than three hundred traders accessed the treatment in the first day and expressed hope that more people are expected to participate in the treatment.
Said he, “we are not considering the cost of drugs but are interested on how the program will impact them, that is our primary target. So far, we have spent about ₦5million to provide for necessary drugs given to patients treated,