Not Fewer than One Hundred and Thirty Five(135) patients have received free surgeries at the 2025 medical and surgical outreach in Ibesikpo Asutan local government area of Akwa Ibom State.
Over 2000 patients also received free medical counselling and drugs at the exercise organized by Ibesikpo Asutan Organisation California Incorporated in partnership with World Surgical Foundation and Ubotex Limited.
Speaking at the weeklong event held at ImaBridge Africa Medical Centre Ibesikpo, the Project coordinator, Dr Iniobong Okon Ubon said indigenes of Ibesikpo Asutan in California, USA came together to organize the outreach for their people at home adding that the humanitarian services had been running for more than 12 years.
Dr Ubon who explained that over One Hundred medical personnel both from the US and in Nigeria were on ground to attend to any medical issue said the group had expended above Fifty Thousand US dollars to purchase the drugs that would be administered.
The Coordinator urged the people to come out and maximize the opportunity saying that adequate provisions for drugs have been made.
She, however, regretted that the exercise may not continue in the local government due to absence of a General hospital saying that medical outreach of that nature should be conducted in an equipped General hospital even as she thanked ImaBridge Africa Medical Centre for making their facility available for the exercise to see the light of the day.
While commending the Akwa Ibom State government for their giant strides in health development, Ubon called for its partnership with the group for maximum service delivery.
Her words, “We saw the need for medical outreach because a lot of our people needed help. Some of them don’t have access to healthcare, some of them don’t have money to to buy drug, though we can’t treat everybody, for the limited time, we can do what we can do. We are not many in the group. In Nigeria, the only person that supported us was Elder Ubong Obot for our accommodations. He has been doing it. Also World Surgical Foundation has been supporting us. We have a lot of medication here for children, prenatal, as well as adult.
“We want the government to be part of us and we want to be part of the government. Tell us what you want us to do. And I thank them. I’ve seen a lot of progress in this current administration.
Speaking, Dr Ndifreke Etim, hospital Administrator, ImaBridge Africa Medical Centre said before the outreach, the hospital had conducted pre-screening for breast lumps, hernia, goitre, fibroid and booked about 135 persons for the procedures.
She said, “Before now, we had done screenings for thyroidectomies, appendectomies, myomectomies(Fibroids), lumpectomies(breast lumps) and lymphomas. Then the highest rate is the herniorrhaphy(hernia) We are hoping that people will benefit from this. Over 73 patients will be having that hernia surgery and 17 patients for myomectomies or Fibroid surgery. 15 breast lumps will be taken out.”
She said children would also be benefiting from these surgeries as more corrective surgeries had been carried out and the thyroidectomies (goitre) which is a major surgery done specifically by the Chief Surgeon, Dr Asuquo Inyang. She urged more volunteers to come up and join hands with ImaBridge in the exercise to help more families go home.
The Chairman, Ibesikpo Asutan Local government Council, Hon Edidiong Inyang represented by the Vice Chairman Hon Goodness Obot thanked the group, doctors and other volunteers who contributed in one way or the other in making the outreach a success.
The Chairman therefore urged the constituents to exploit the opportunity by accessing the free medical services and care.
‘Don’t be shy to talk to health workers, we are here to help one another. Tell them your medical issues.” He said.
