The people of Riyom and Barkin Ladi federal constituency in Plateau State counted their ordeals, especially on their health as a result of insecurity in their communities.
Our correspondent, who visited the Barkin Ladi General Hospital in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, and the Trauma Hospital Sambak in Riyom LGA, all in Plateau on Saturday, saw many of the constituents on queue receiving medical treatments for various ailments.
It was learnt that the free medical outreach, which lasted four days, was organized by the lawmaker representing Riyom/Barkin Ladi federal constituency in the National Assembly, Simon Mwadkwon.
A member of the Nigeria Medical Association and Senior Registrar with the Jos University Teaching Hospital Dr. Datiyi Chomo, who was among the doctors that attended to the patients said, “everyday here in Barki Ladi, we expect to attend to over 500 patients with different ailments.
“We have the same medical outreach going on simultaneously in Riyom LGA. So, within the four-day period of the free medical outreach, we would have attended to about 4,000 people. We render several services to the people. We have free consultations and laboratory services. Various doctors including surgeons, gynaecologists, Opthalmologists among others are here and from point A-Z where the patients will go to the pharmacy for drugs, all the services are free courtesy of the lawmaker representing Riyom /Barkin Ladi federal constituency, Simon Mwadkwon.”
The lawmaker said that the outreach became necessary to alleviate the sufferings of the people, “considering the insecurity that displaced many of them, affected their economic activities, and pushed them to a state of abject poverty which made it impossible for many of the people to have resources and access to quality medical services.”
He said that the services provided by the health professionals were free, owing to the economic hardships being faced by the people.
Mwadkwon urged the government to provide solution to the security challenge in his constituency, and to prioritize the health of Nigerians in its policies in the interest of the people, adding that as a lawmaker, he would continue to initiate programmes and activities that would have direct impact on members of his constituents.
