No fewer than 1,000 Ogun residents in Abeokuta have benefitted from the free medical intervention organisesd by Hon. Lukman Atobatele Foundation on Friday.
The patients were treated by over 40 health practitioners from the United State and Nigeria on different illnesses, ranging from carteract, breast lumps, malaria, amongst others.
The foundation, sponsored by the lawmaker representing Abeokuta South Constituency 1 at the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Lukman Atobatele also gave the beneficiaries free drugs and eyeglasses.
Speaking to journalists during the outreach, Atobatele appealed to the Federal Government to increase the salaries of health workers in the country.
He said the Nigeria health sector also needs adequate funding to end the narrative of health workers relocating abroad for greener pastures.
Atobatele stated that his foundation considered the intervention as important because many Nigerians cannot access healthcare because of lack of financial capability.
He called on the government “We urge the government to pump money into the health sector. If the government pumps money into the sector, the issues we have with health will drastically reduce.
He added “In broad, registered nurses earn as much as one thousand dollars a day. Government should please increase their salaries. You cannot expect them to work well when they are not well paid. This is why many of them are running abroad.
The head of the medical team for the outreach, Dr Fadeyi Olatubosun disclosed that through the initiative, Hon. Atobatele is supporting the government in giving medicine since the government cannot do it alone.
He said “The government cannot do it all that is why Hon. Atobatele through his foundation is doing this. I want the government to support initiatives like this.
“We have people with diabetes, eye problems, dental problems, hernia. We have a powerful medical team here, we have a team from the United State of America, we have a team from Federal Medical Centre FMC and from a private institution.
One of the beneficiaries who underwent surgery said “This intervention is very rare, I had cataract but after the operation I can now see clearly. I was given free drugs too.
Another beneficiary said “I had breast lumps but I have been operated and now I am better, all thanks to Hon. Atobatele
