An Islamic organisation, Nasrul-lahi-L-Fathi-Society (NASFAT), Birnin Kebbi branch, on Sunday offered free medical services to over 500 indigent people of Kebbi.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise, tagged: “Free Health Screening for Birnin Kebbi Residents” was carried out at the Emir’s palace, covering both male and female folk across all ages.
Speaking on the sideline of the event, the branch Chairman, NASFAT, Alhaji Isma’il Suleiman said the essence of the exercise was to assist the people especially the downtrodden, who could not afford medical expenses due to the present economic hardship.
He listed the services offered during the exercise to include; Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure check, blood sugar level test, malaria check, free medical consultation, drugs for common illness as well as counselling and awareness talk on hard drugs and mental health.
While encouraging the residents to take advantage of the exercise, the chairman said, the programme was meant to cater for the common health needs of Birnin Kebbi residents.
He said the medical outreach was being provided by no fewer than six medical doctors, a host of nurses and other supporting medical staff.
Tracing the history of NASFAT to 1995, Suleiman said, the organisation had core values acronym HELD, meaning Health, Education, Livelihood and Da’awah.
He said: “Until when you are healthy that you will be able to contribute to the society, at the same time be able to achieve your set goals and objectives, that’s why we said health must be something we must duel on in NASFAT.
“On education, people say whoever that is not informed is in darkness, education is the key, education is power and education is light. In view of these, we duel on education as well.
“On livelihood, that has to do with empowerment, we ‘ve empowered a lot of people, we teach people different kinds of trades and skills acquisition. We want people to be empowered and become self-reliant so that they will be able to feed themselves and feed their own families.”
On Da’awah, he said, the purpose of being on Earth “is to serve Allah (SWT). Meanwhile, if you are not healthy, you are not educated and you are not empowered, you won’t be able to do Da’awah the way it’s supposed to be.
“All these must be in place for you to be able to do Da’awah successfully to gain reward in the Hereafter.
“That’s why we say we should offer these services to the people of Birnin Kebbi.
“This is because, going by the present economic predicaments, people hardly feed themselves talk-less of going to the hospital for medication and there is no doubt people are suffering from different illnesses,” he noted.
On her part, the branch Women Leader of the organisation, Hajiya Maryam Bature expressed satisfaction with the turnout of women in the exercise, adding that the number of women that turned up for the scheme was beyond expectation.
“To God Almighty be the glory, we have been able to examined tests on them and give them the required medicine for their illnesses, Alhamdu lillah, everything went on smoothly. We pray Almighty Allah will give us more power to do more than this next time,” she prayed.
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Responding on behalf of other beneficiaries, Hajiya Hussaina Haruna-Rashid and Malam Bello Leki appreciated NASFAT for what they described as special intervention from God.
The duo observed that the outreach had not only reduced the amount of money they would have spent but also cut down the stress and distance they would have covered to seek medication, appealing that such gesture should be sustained either bi annually or annually. (NAN)
