The wife of the Oyo State Governor and founder of the Access to Basic Care (ABC) foundation, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi has been commended by a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia, Medical Aid for Africa (MAFA), for caring for the poorest of the poor in Ibadan and Oyo State in general.
The Organization, founded by three brothers, Dr Sabu George, Dr. Saju George and Mr.Jibu George in a letter to Mrs. Ajimobi after the completion of a three day Medical outreach at the ABC foundation Clinic, described Mrs. Ajimobi’s medical care efforts through the ABC foundation as exemplary.
The leader of the team, Dr Sabu George, who is an interventional cardiologist in Philadelphia in the United States, said that MAFA in its third year of existence attended to 450 patients during the outreach and distributed Lisinopril and Amlodipine to them, stressing that his brother, Dr. Saju George provided basic dental exams and brought 1000dollars worth of toothbrushes and toothpaste, which he gave to patients (mostly small children between the ages of 5 and 14).
Dr Sabu George said that MAFA provided basic care by way of EKG screenings as well as teaching the doctors at the clinic about EKG interpretation, adding that they also provided basic screenings for blood pressures.
He noted Mrs. Ajimobi was making a remarkable impact in the lives and longevity of the people by keeping the families intact with the mothers and fathers being there for the children, saying, “You are making an impact in these people’s lives and their longevity. This impact is immeasurable.
“The benefit in the time the parents spend with their children is immeasurable. The socio-economic impact is immeasurable. Let me just say that I do not know you, and I am not saying this for any kind of gain. The long and short of it is you are making a very excellent impact on the poorest of the poor in Ibadan. Please continue your efforts. Their effects are far reaching and please do not get tired. I can tell you that you really have an impact on the primary care level with the poorest of the poor.
“It is really amazing and a pleasure to see this in a country like Nigeria, where people frequently neglect the poor. It is truly a pleasure to see this. Your efforts have to be replicated across Nigeria. The blessings are on you and your family and your husband. Please do not let this outreach of yours ever die,” he said.
According to Dr George’s letter to Mrs. Ajimobi, “We were fortunate enough to visit Ibadan and your Foundation’s clinic on this visit. Suffice it to say that the care that you provide to the poorest of the poor in Ibadan, Oyo state, is exemplary. Let me highlight those points. I have been to one local government area of a State in the South West over the past two years, which I shall keep nameless. I did my medical outreach for three days there just as I did in Ibadan.
“The main difference between the Area I worked at and Ibadan is that in your foundation’s clinic, all the patients who came to see me, even though some could not speak a word of English, knew exactly what antihypertensive medications they were taking. They would tell me they were on Amlodipine 10mg, Lisinopril 10mg, and Aspirin 75 mg, and they could show me a log which had their blood pressure readings from each time they went to the ABC clinic outreach centers.
“This is a testament to the nurses and the doctors who take care of them through your foundation. Let me highlight the difference this way, I took 2000 US dollars worth of drugs to the State three years and two years ago. Both of those times, the medications vanished over the 3 day period. At your center, we used maybe 15% of the drugs, the rest were donated to your center. This means that the patients are taking their drugs, which are impacting their lives and leading to increased longevity. The impact this has on keeping family units intact and the socio-economic benefit cannot be measured.
“Let me just highlight and say the local government I went to in the State told me that they pick up one to two bodies on the street every month with no signs of external injuries. These bodies are in their 40s to 50s and often appear to have dropped dead on the spot. In the three days I was there, I saw 200 to 250 patients, 60 to 80 of whom had systolic blood pressures greater than 200. There is no doubt in my mind that those people dropping dead in the streets were dying from hypertensive heart disease or strokes. Their family units are disrupted as a result and young children are left orphaned,” Dr George explained.
Packaged by Oyedapo Oyewole
