By Enyinna Omoke, Abakaliki.
The David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Uburu, and the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH) have commenced a free medical outreach aimed at expanding access to healthcare for residents of Ebonyi State and other parts of the country.
The initiative, which was flagged off at the hospital premises, brought together principal officers of the two institutions, medical personnel, staff, patients and other stakeholders.
The Vice-Chancellor of DUFUHS, Dist. Prof. Jesse Uneke, said the outreach was conceived as part of the institutions’ commitment to improving access to quality healthcare, particularly for people who may be unable to afford medical treatment.
Uneke expressed optimism that the programme would achieve significant impact, urging stakeholders and beneficiaries to support the initiative.
He said, “Healthcare should be the right of every member of society. Quality healthcare should not be a privilege for some people in society. As far as you are part of a community, you are entitled to quality healthcare."
According to him, the university regards access to quality healthcare as an important component of its responsibility to society.
“This is a teaching hospital, and not everybody is able to afford quality healthcare. That is why we are trying to make our own contribution to assist patients who cannot afford it,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor explained that the outreach was open to beneficiaries from Ebonyi and other parts of the country, including members of the host community.
He also appealed to philanthropists, corporate organisations and other well-meaning individuals to support the programme to enable it to continue for as long as resources remain available.
The Chief Medical Director of DUFUTH, Prof. Chihurumnanya Alo, described the outreach as the product of collaboration between the university and the teaching hospital
Alo said the partnership would not only improve access to medical care but also strengthen clinical training and professional development for students.
“Today, we are here to flag off a free medical outreach jointly organised by the two institutions, DUFUHS and DUFUTH. I want to welcome everyone of you. This is a great event that will be of help to patients,” he said.
The CMD added that the collaboration between the two institutions had come to stay, stressing that its benefits would extend beyond the immediate medical intervention.
“The collaboration has come to stay. It will provide quality training for our students and quality healthcare for our patients,” he said.
Alo said the outreach was designed to cater for patients within and outside Ebonyi State, including residents of the host community, noting that adequate awareness had been created ahead of the programme.
He said the initiative would further enhance the institutions’ contribution to healthcare delivery and medical education while providing an opportunity to demonstrate their professional capabilities.
The CMD also commended individuals who had made sacrifices towards the successful commencement of the outreach and reiterated the need for sustained support from philanthropists and other stakeholders.
The initiative is expected to continue for as long as available resources permit, with the organisers calling for additional support to ensure its sustainability and enable more patients to benefit.
The collaboration comes against the backdrop of the complementary roles of the university and teaching hospital in medical education, clinical training and healthcare delivery.
