THE Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, has urged the Federal Government to provide more primary healthcare facilities across the country.
The church, which made the call during the foundation-laying ceremony of new primary healthcare facilities constructed by the church for residents of Daki-Biu in Jabi, Abuja, stated that the presence of PHCs in communities would reduce mortality rates and improve the country’s health indices.
Speaking, the pastor-in-charge of RCCG City of David parish, Gbolade Okenla, noted that the provision of affordable health services for the informal sector would help more Nigerians to gain access to quality health care.
He explained that besides the new PHC facility, the parish was also offering free medical services to the community as part of activities to mark its 10th-anniversary celebration.
Okenla said, “There are a lot of pregnant women and people with minor diseases that shouldn’t lead to death but the lack of N500, N1000, or even N2000 to move out of the community is causing people to die.
“We are also coming today to have a free medical outreach as part of our Christian Social Responsibility and to let the people know that even though the government might have neglected them, we have not forgotten them.”
Similarly, Head of the Church’s medical outreach team, Dr. Theophilus Ado, stated that PHC facility will be managed through partnership deals between the church and the community.
On the free medical programme, he said the team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other support staff from the church decided to carry out the exercise to treat many of the 8000 residents of the community who couldn’t afford such medicare.
According to him, the medical team observed in the community; prevalence of malaria, skin diseases, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, seizure disorder amongst others, including two cases of infection that could have resulted in amputation if not for the medical intervention.
A Muslim resident of Daki Biu, who benefited from the medical outreach, Nasiru Abubakar, expressed joy.
Abubakar said he was treated for high blood pressure.
“One of my friends told me that they are giving free medicare at the Daki Biu Primary School and I came and received mine,” he said.
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