International Centre for Islamic Culture and Education (ICICE) has offered free medical services to over 1,200 residents of BabanTunga village in Tafa local government area, Niger state.
The medical outreach, which was held at the weekend at the Dr Amina Abubakar Sani Bello Children and Women HealthCare Centre at BabanTunga in Tafa local government of the state was targeted at patients battling with eye problems, malaria, hypertension and diabetic.
A breakdown of the people who benefitted from the medical outreach indicates that 400 were treated for eye-related ailment, while the remaining 800 were given free medical care on malaria, hypertension, diabetics and peptic ulcer.
Head, Medical Team of the centre Dr Amina Kumalia, who spoke with journalists, said a survey conducted by the centre revealed that eye problem was a predominant illness in the area.
According to her, majority of the patients suffering from eye diseases in the area were middle age and elderly.
“Actually before this time we came here for a visit to assess the area and know the health needs of the community. We met with the Village Head and his subjects and asked them questions about the most common illness around the area, which they told us was eye problem.
“ So, that was why this medical outreach was organised with an optometrist to treat all our eye cases; we referred patients to him. We have seen in other communities that we visited in the past cases of other illness like Malaria, Hypertension, Diabetics, Peptic ulcer.
“Most of the conditions were usually anti-allergic, bacterial eye infection and cataract; for cataracts all we can do was to refer the patient to a tertiary centre for possible surgery.“
Kumalia said in addition over 800 patients, who were either suffering from malaria, hypertension or diabetics also benefitted from the free medical outreach in the area.
Earlier, the Director-General of ICICE Dr Kabo Usman said the group was at the village as part of its mandate to address its health needs.
Usman, who was represented by his Technical Assistant Imam Mujaheed Amin, promised that the centre would continue to collaborate with embassies and other relevant agencies to improve the living conditions of the less privilege in the society.
Also, the Village Head of BabanTunga, Malam Adamu Dantsoho, expressed appreciation to the centre for coming to their aids, describing it as a divine intervention.
