The Management of Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK), has offered free medical services to 200 Keffi residents as part of activities to mark the institution’s silver jubilee anniversary.

The university Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sa’adatu Liman, declared the free medical outreach open in Keffi on Tuesday.

Ms Liman, represented by the university’s Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) in charge of Administration, Prof. Halima Kutigi, noted  that aside the silver jubilee celebration, the event was also part of activities for the university’s upcoming 8th combined convocation ceremony scheduled for April 11.

She said, “Today also happens to be World Health Day and we all know health is wealth. So we need to celebrate it powerfully. This outreach programme shows that we are a responsible institution. 

We cannot celebrate our anniversary without celebrating the community that has hosted us for so long.

“That is why we are holding this outreach for Keffi residents, as part of our community social responsibility. It’s our own little way of appreciating our host community, celebrating our 25th anniversary and also commemorating the World Health Day.”

She explained that the outreach encompassed medical services to beneficiaries such as basic tests, provision of over-the-counter drugs and issuing of referrals to medical centres for complicated cases.

Also speaking, the Acting Director, Directorate of Health Services, NSUK, Dr Umar Suleiman, said the outreach services was expected to cater for 200 residents.

He expressed hoped that future outreaches would be much bigger to cater to more residents.

He stated, “The services we are offering here is testing for malaria parasite, random blood sugar, typhoid, and for the vital signs, we are checking blood pressure and we are also letting people know their weight.

“We are also offering deworming drugs to beneficiaries so they can deworm themselves because we noticed that some people don’t even remember that they need to deworm after a period.

“We are also giving out sanitary pads and carrying out a brief lecture on oral hygiene because today is World Health Day. We are also offering tips on nutrition, healthy diet, healthy weight, as well as health talks on personal hygiene and environmental sanitation.”

He appreciated the management of the institution for approving the medical outreach and urged residents of the community to take advantage of the gesture.

Reacting to the gesture, a beneficiary, Patience Guana, lauded the university for the medical outreach, saying it would go a long way in supporting some of the residents to address their medical conditions.

“Honestly we are surprised and impressed by this noble effort. We sincerely thank the university for coming to our aid, especially we the poor who sometimes find it difficult going to pay for these services in health centres,” she said.

(NAN)