The Richard/Emem Inyang Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Akwa Ibom State, has provided free healthcare services to over 1,500 indigent persons in Ibiono Ibom communities of the state.
The medical outreach, which took place at Palmer Memorial Hospital, Ikot Usen, featured free eye consultations, health education sessions, eye screening, and the distribution of reading glasses. Beneficiaries were also screened and treated for ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, and other common medical conditions.
In addition to the healthcare intervention, the Foundation extended its humanitarian efforts to Ikot Ikpang Itam in Ibiaku Itam 2 community, Itu Local Government Area, where it graded a previously impassable road to ease movement for residents.
Speaking during the outreach, the President of the Foundation, Mr. Richard Inyang, a missionary and church minister, said the community-based interventions were his way of thanking God for preserving his life after a ghastly accident.
According to him, “What we are doing is a way of appreciating God for saving my life. The accident I had was widely reported in the media. I sustained third-degree burns and underwent multiple surgeries. Nobody believed I would survive, but God saved my life for a purpose. As a missionary and minister of God, one of the best ways to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ is to reach out practically to the needy, the vulnerable, and those who cannot afford help, lifting their burdens and putting smiles on their faces.”
He added that the programme spanned three to four days and included free medical outreach, distribution of food items, toiletries, clothing, and the preaching of the gospel to draw souls to Christ.
Mr. Inyang further explained that the Foundation operates on a three-pronged structure: Richfield School of Excellence, which provides affordable and quality education; Solace Orphanage International, a welfare organisation offering medical care, education, and support for orphaned children; and the Richard Inyang Foundation, a non-funded, non-profit organisation that provides educational and medical support to indigent secondary and tertiary students across Nigeria.
“What you have seen us doing is purely self-funded. We do not receive funding from the government or anywhere else,” he stated, while appreciating the medical team led by Dr. Inyang George for rendering their services at little or no cost.
Also speaking, the coordinator of the medical outreach, Dr. Inyang George, said the Foundation has consistently sponsored impactful initiatives aimed at improving the welfare and wellbeing of communities across the state.
He commended the Foundation’s President for committing significant personal resources to humanitarian causes, noting that the outreach has positively impacted many lives.
“This is not politics. He is not a politician and is not contesting for any election. This is purely humanitarian and for the sake of the gospel,” Dr. George said.
He disclosed that over 1,500 patients had benefited from free consultations, drugs, tests, and reading glasses, adding that more beneficiaries were still coming. He praised the dedication and professionalism of the 10-member medical team involved in the exercise.
In his remarks, the Village Head of Ikot Ikpang Itam community, Chief Itaobong Sampson, expressed gratitude to Mr. Richard Inyang for his generosity and philanthropic intervention, describing it as timely and impactful.
