Omituntun Free Health Mission hits milestone with over 300,000 beneficiaries across the state.
The outreach for the second quarter concluded at the Ibadan Ring Road Specialist Hospital on Thursday, with an increase in the number of treated cases for eye surgery, dental care, physiotherapy compared to before.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Olusoji Adeyanju, Permanent Secretary of the Oyo State Department of Health, expressed his delight at including dental care, eye treatment and physiotherapy as part of the free medical services.
Dr Adeyanju suggested that 50 per cent of those who benefited from the surgery were pensioners.
According to him, “1,639 people benefited from eye surgery with free glasses and 262 people successfully completed cataract surgery.
He added: “I am delighted by the kindness and strong support of this project from our Governor.
“When we started free health quests during Omituntun 1.0, treatments like dental care, eye care, and physical therapy didn’t exist, and now we have them in Omituntun 2.0.”
“Today, we have performed 2,128 operations and I am very happy because about 50% of the beneficiaries are pensioners.
“Additionally, we have 5,444 and 1,288 dental care service beneficiaries and physical therapy beneficiaries, respectively.”
Omituntun Free Health Corps Coordinator Dr Wale Falana also said in his statement that the scale of the project was huge given the impact on the people of the state.
Dr Farana, who is also director of secondary health care and training at the ministry, hinted that more than 300,000 residents have benefited from the project.
Farana added that hernia cases had decreased, which he said was proof that the program was achieving positive results.
He advises beneficiaries taking medication, especially those with high blood pressure, diabetes, etc., to use the medication accordingly.
Dr Faranah also advised residents of the state to enroll in the Oyo state health insurance scheme and pay benefits for it to get the healthcare they need.
Some beneficiaries such as Sola Oyebode and Sulaiman Nurudeen applauded the governor’s move in their respective speeches.
The pair also commended the medical team for providing timely, high-quality medical care free of charge.
However, Sola Oyebode called on the Oyo state government to pay more attention to rural residents in the state’s nooks and crannies because of their economic status in society.
The coordinator said the next phase of free medical missions would begin in the next three to four months.