….ODUNA’s Medical Mission Is Epitome Of Love, Cuts Across North-Central States – ODU N/HQ
…..Sparse of Funds, Sponsors Is Major Challenge
….. ODUNA Seeks Collaboration With Kwara Govt
….. We Are Proud Of Them – Yasin
The National body of Offa Descendants Union (ODU) under the leadership of Muhyideen Olaniyi Salako Azeez has commended its North America chapter for a week-long free medical mission.
The Offa Descendants Union, North America (ODUNA)’s medical mission took place in the ODU Hall from 16th to 21st January, 2023, from 8:00am – 5:00pm daily.
Activities featured included free medical screening & treatment, free eye test and glasses, free cataract and general surgeries, free dental care, and more.
Speaking with ODU Media Team on Saturday at his residential house in Offa, the National President of the Union, Muhyideen Olaniyi Salako Azeez said the Union will not cease to give the ODUNA needed support to ensure continuity of the programme.
Salako added that his administration is looking at where the previous administration stopped working, and hopes to commence from there.
“We have started activities, we are having meetings with our new executives. We are looking at where the previous administration stopped, what they laid hands on that need to be sustained and where do we need to bring our own initiatives. Those are the things we are doing now. Very soon, we will be rolling out our own programmes and where we want our administration to go.
“ODUNA medical mission is a fantastic initiative on the part of our brothers and sisters living in USA. According to them, very few of them contributed to the Mission. Now that we come on board we will reach out to others to key into the programme that they also play their part. It’s a a programme that have to do with life saving, deals with proper health care of our people and proffer solutions.
“It’s about sustenance of the lives of the people.
“We have not seen any other branch that has similar project for now, I am however aware that the Kaduna Branch did something similar last year. They organized medical outreach for their members. We were not on board then, but we read the news.
“Also, my own branch (Bida branch) some medical counseling. But none has gone to the level of ODUNA. It is a very big initiative.
On what to do to solidify efforts of the previous administration, Salako said: “we don’t know much about what the previous administrations were doing for the ODUNA in terms of support the medical mission. We had our meeting two days before the arrival of the ODUNA and talked about how to come in handy for them.
“There are lots of challenges aside from raising funds, procurement of equipment and medicines, transportation, clearing at ports and others. We know the security challenges we are facing in the country. We cannot expose our brothers and sisters coming from abroad. We provided them 24/7 security.
“Secondly, there have not been enough publicity about what they are doing. Because an exercise that is taking care of 3,000 people is a big exercise. We should let the whole world and not just Nigeria know. We brought about seven to eight different media to the event on the day they started. The press men came around to cover the event.
“We also discovered that they used their own money in previous exercises to buy diesel for the power generator, but this time around we didn’t allow them to do that. The ODU took the responsibility and bore the cost.
“Furthermore, we fed the medical practitioners and the volunteers throughout the period. We did not allow them to use their own money for the food.
“These are part of the little we can do for them now. We also have it in our programme that before the next exercise we would have had organizing committee in place.”
On what to do to tackle challenges stated by ODUNA President, Alhaji Salako said that
In his words:”many people have been doing their best in that regard. Right from the people in America who have been contributing money, there are others at home who are doing the same.
“One of our brothers contributed a million Naira to assist with their hotel bills. The Asiwaju of Offa, Alhaji Tajudeen Owoyemi who owns the hotel they are staying gave them about 50% discount on all the rooms they are using. They are many others who are helping them out, too.
“You know we are just coming on board. We know the best way to assist them when next they are coming.
“The hitches they had at the airport are normal. Had we knew that they were coming that day and would had that challenge at the airport, we would have prepared for it.
“If we knew such problem was coming we would have been the ones to resolve this issue in their stead. We were not there and we did not know. In fact, it’s when they arrived that we knew they had such problems. We did not know. But I promise you that they won’t have such problem next time. It is what ODU worldwide can resolve.
“What they were bringing in were not contraband or hard drugs.”
Also, Olusegun Ogungboye, the National Secretary of ODU said: “we thank God for this year’s ODUNA medical mission.
“You will recall that about ten years ago, our royal father, HRM Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Muhammed, Esuwoye II, Ajagungbade I, The Olofa of Offaland traveled length and breadth of the world where Offa indigenes could be found. One of them was North America, he gathered the Offa people and addressed them on the need to give back to the society. The fruit of what Kabiyesi did almost a decade ago is what we are seeing today.
“ODUNA has taken up the challenge and been coming. This is the seventh edition of the medical mission.
“We want to thank the ODUNA president and other members of the executives for the sense of responsibility to come back home and give back to the society. What you see them do in the last five days is nothing less than 50 million Naira. They have treated people of diverse ailments, they have sponsored surgeries and they paid in full. Nobody paid a Kobo from his own pocket.
“This is what it means to have a community of love, where you see the elites caring for the masses.”
Commenting on the seizure of some ODUNA medical equipment and medicines at the airport, Dr Ogungboye said the National body of ODU will reach out to the Kwara State Government so as to prevent future occurrence.
“We are going to have a comprehensive report of everything that has happened this year, an appraisal. We will also let the state government know the impacts of ODUNA Medical Mission to Offa.
“You should know people who benefit from this Mission are not only from Kwara State. I myself have interviewed people who are from Benue, Niger, Kogi and other North-Central states. So this is not about Offa or Kwara but about Nigeria. We need to let our governor know what is happening and seek for collaboration with the state government in ensuring that all the equipment and medicines that would be transported from the United States to Nigeria reach here unhindered.”
ODUNA President, Dr. Adegboyega AbdulKadir stated that the ODUNA aspires to do more with the Mission.
“This is our seventh edition. We started eight years ago, but we paused in 2020 due to the pandemic and continued in 2021. The main reason for this is to bring quality health care to the people of Offa and its environments. We are happy that the programme has become popular.
“There is no fear that this programme may not continue because it has acceptance. The people want us to do it more often. They want it. I think the demand for it will get louder. I don’t think it’s a programme that will die off.”
Dr. AbdulKadir however identified lack of funding as one of the greatest problems the annual Medical Mission faces.
“This is a very expensive programme and we don’t have any fund from the government. The only funding we have is from donations we receive from ODUNA members. These people contribute money which is used for the programme every year. So, funding is a challenge though we have so many loyal people who – despite the economic downturn – they still donate to the programme.
“We also get contributions from members of the community mainly to support our homebase costs. We sometimes have people who wholly or partially sponsor food. You know, we always get about 200 volunteers for this event and we give them breakfast and lunch. We also give dinner to 50 – 70 persons. There are others who partially or fully sponsor accommodation.
“We have other discreet challenges too. For example, the medication we brought in was seized at the airport. It took a lot of efforts to convince them that it was for a good cause, paperwork regardless.
“The challenge of funding can handicap the programme but we are working on other sources of funding to support the programme. We have a bigger goal. We hope that it will be a big company of healthcare in the community.”
ODUNA President also traced the history of the free medical mission to the time Olofa of Offaland, HRM Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Muhammed, Esuwoye II, Ajagungbade I was enthroned.
“When the Olofa of Offaland was enthroned, he went round the world to talk to indigenes of Offa. He came to America and he met with us. He urged us to come to the community and do something to help. That was how ODUNA started the programme.
“All the leaders in the community have been supportive. The Olofa-In-Council, ODU chapters, former national presidents of ODU, starting from Alhaji Najeem Yasin, Dr. Oladipo and recent, Alhaji Salako. All these presidents have particular interests in this programme. They promised to make sure this programme continue to succeed.
“For instance, Alhaji Najeem Yasin was right here, though he ceased to be ODU president for four years. He came just to support us. He and his wife. They come till the end of the programme and sponsored some components.
“We maybe the main organizers but we have so many people who play important roles to make this happen.”
Dr. Hamzat Rabiu Adeoye, head of Tirage/Vitals unit said he is being motivated by the fact that his contributions to the Mission is making people happy over the years.
“Tirage is the first unit any patient coming in come in contact with. We check their vital signs, by this I mean temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure. That is the first assessment.
“We sort patients. It is here they know if to go see the physicians or go to the laboratory section. It is a very sensitive station.
“This is a very fantastic programme. We fortunately started this programme together. I have not missed any year till death. Health is wealth.
“We know the situation of the country now, many people are bedridden with sickness at homes. They look to programmes like this to have access to free medical treatments. That’s why you see a lot of people, mostly the less privileged, trooping to this programme.
“The people of the communities are happy, you can see that on their faces and when they are going they pray a lot. We are happy that we are making people happy.
“We attend to a minimum of 500 people per day. Nothing less than that.
“The Mission also offers free surgeries. This is seriously touching lives of the common man on the street.”
Ilufoye Yemi Babatunde of Laboratory unit said the unit is a sacrosanct part of the Mission.
“You will agree with me that the diagnosis from this unit gives a lot of clarity as to the condition of the patient. This has to come before the administration of medicines. So, laboratory is a very essential component.
“We also do diabetes care. Fasting blood sugar or random blood sugar. This depends on the condition of the patient.”
Mrs Adebayo R.A of Eye Unit said unit is saddled with the responsibility of distribution of recommended glasses to the people.
Adebayo, who is also one of the volunteers at the Mission asserted that over 1,500 glasses have been distributed so far.
“As at yesterday (Thursday), we have distributed 1,200 glasses. We have our records here. Today we have distributed more than 300 glasses.
“Honestly, only God is the only One who can compensate the organizers, especially from North America. Most of us who are here as volunteers had to take our annual leave to come and serve our father’s land.
“May God continue to compensate us all.”
Ms Adeola Abdulkadir expressed her happiness to be part of the Mission over the last eight years.
“I came to aid the volunteers during this mission. We provide different services for the people of Offa. We provide general and special health care.
“I am at the protocol unit. We see to the orderliness of the people and make sure everything moves smoothly. I have been coming here from the beginning.”
Dr. Lateef Fatai, head of doctors, noted that the organizers should improve on coordination of people and creation of awareness.
“There is a room for improvement in areas (such) as organizing people and creating awareness. They need to educate the beneficiaries on how to conduct themselves very well. They have to sit at the rightful places provided and stop causing commotion as commonly witnessed.
“In that area, there’s a need for our protocol volunteers to do more.”
Dr. (Mrs) Sariyu Bukola Oyewole, the head of administrative unit applauded the Mission and the brains behind it.
In her words: “I feel about the programme is that it is very advantageous to Offa and environments. We take care of more than 3000 people. We give out glasses in thousands, we sponsor cataract surgery and general surgery, we have dental care and extraction of teeth. So, the Mission has been so beneficial especially for the less privileged.
“The organizers have spent millions of Naira to put this together, I wish the Offa people can aid them and become supportive. This will go a long way.”
Dr. Tolani Abdulkadir, OBGWN, head of Consultation Unit, said she’s happy to be a part of the Mission.
“I see women with children of all ages at my unit. I am an obstetrician. I see women who have gynecology-related problems. Other people who are not in my scope I refer them to other units like Ophthalmology, ENT and others.
“Over the years, we have been able to touch lives and made a lot of differences in the community, from children and senior citizens. I think we have done excellently. We had done alot.
However, as it is with all encounters in life there has to be challenges. The main thing is that I wish we have gone digital. It would make things easier. There won’t be people checking in twice or more.
“We have people who come everyday to see different doctors, hence prevent other people from having access. I wish we go digital. But we will get there. I am very optimistic. We will go digital and computerize our care.
“Another challenge is organizing patients in this community is very difficult. Some of our people don’t abide by instructions. We tried to keep them together.
“I have attended to 56 people, the day before yesterday I saw 61 people. I want us to have productive encounters with our patients. We see them, we service them, we make them happy and give them proper referrals to those who might need additional care. It is not about the number but type of service.”
Speaking on other incentives her unit doles out, she said: “we give mosquito nets, toothpastes and brushes, we give toys to children, soft sponges, we give lip gloss due to harmattan. We also give body soap and body wash and more.”
Dr. Abdulkadir subsequently appreciated all the donors of the incentives who made distribution possible for the unit.
Speaking on behalf of Physiotherapy/Chiropractic/Occupational Therapy unit, Dr. Ebenezer Bilewu noted that it would be a challenge for the patients to continue the treatment after the medical mission.
“This is new in Nigeria. There are so few people who know about Chiropractic in the country. Chirapratory is an emerging medical field on morning Nigeria. So, to continue the therapy for the patients is a big challenge.
“They may have to wait for a year when we come back to continue. This is a big challenge. Most of them need follow-up therapy. This depends on the condition of the patients.”
Dr. Maryam Jummai Bello-Yasin, wife of former ODU president, Alhaji Najeem Yasin poured accolades on ODUNA for the annual Medical Mission.
Dr. Maryam Bello-Yasin, who is also the National Woman Leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) stated that: “Our brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers come from far away America. They coordinated themselves and charged themselves on what they can do to give back to the community.
“They do this to make sure that our aged parents got the needed care. This is paramount to them. They want to see their parents hale and healthy. This is a laudable project, one of the best in Offa.
“This is yearly, they have not failed for a year. Even during COVID-19, they tried to do their best. We really appreciate their help, contributions and intentions.
“We are proud of them.”…
