Federal Lawmaker, Hon. Amb. Daniel Asama Launches Free Medical Outreach In Constituency
By: Labaran Ahmed
Federal Lawmaker, Hon. Amb. Daniel Asama Ago, has launched a remarkable 3-day free medical outreach program that will benefit over 25,000 constituents across Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency, distributed essential drugs and medical supplies to 12 Primary healthcare Clinics (PHC) and 4 Tertiary Health Institutions across the Constituency.
Global News reports that over 25,000 people majority elderly are expecting to come to Jos Hotel located at Alheri in Jos North Local Government of Plateau State to benefits from the gestures, which was the initiative of the lawmaker Hon. Amb. Asama.
The medical outreach which was fully sponsored and bankrolled by the people centeric egalitarian lawmaker, Hon. Amb. Asama, specially handle the problematic glaucoma, the silent eye sight killer that blinded uncountable people as well as other eye illnesses with over 2,000 glasses to be issued out free.
In his welcoming address, Hon. Asama highlighted that it was a difficult task to alternate between providing food and support for the people, but at the same time, you will recognize that it's a healthy person that is able to go out and fend, noting that the three major priority reasons that necessitated this humanitarian gesture from the lawmaker were the economic hardship, the number two reason why he did this is because it's the mandate, and finally, his love for humanity.
Hon. Asama further maintained that it was his passion and love for humanity that propelled him to venture into the center of politics, insisting that his philosophy of politics is seeing people living well and "I love to see people have what belongs to them. And like I always said, I will do my best to bring what is of the people to the people.".
Having said that, "I want to say this. Please, the constituency of Bassa/Jos North is very large, the resources in this country are dwindling, and the government in the center is also struggling. Please, let's always appreciate whatever little we have.
The one thing I want to tell you for sure, and I'll always repeat it before I vacate this office. If you do not benefit, your brother will benefit. If your brother did not benefit, your other brother will benefit; your neighbor will benefit. If your neighbors did not benefit, your community will benefit. I will not leave this office, and you will not have a feel of my being in that office. No. I will not. So far, it's been a year this February. This is one year and two weeks since I assumed office.".
Hon. Asama while expressing clear distinction between politics and governance, the lawmaker appreciated the President of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gov. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, who is from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), other National and State Assembly who are from other political parties but are working in synergy for the betterment of the country, saying "I am going to work with them to make Bassa/ Jos North Constituency better, what we are telling you right now, we don't know party, we only know Bassa/ Jos North Constituency, we only know Plateau State. Let's make it happen. I love everybody in my constituency. It is not a Muslim constituency; it is not a Christian constituency. It is Bassa Jos North; that is what it is. We will make the constituency work for all of us".
The member equally narrated that apart from the team of medical experts on the ground who are responsible for diagnosing the patients and issuing eyeglasses and drugs whenever it's required, the 12 primary healthcare clinics that received the drugs and in turn gave it to patients free are Lapape in Jengre, Amo Maikatako, Binchin, Kisaloi, Kwall, and Miango, all in Bassa Local Government, while PHC Ungwan Rukuba, Ali Kazaure, Angwan Rogo, and Targon Regiza. Yelwan Zangam, Tudun Wada, all in the Jos North local government area. Other tertiary health institutions that benefitted from the drugs include Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Bingham University Teaching Hospital (Jankwano), Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), and Our Lady of Fatima (Ola Hospital), all in Jos, urging the constituents to seize this opportunity to get their eyes checked.
He stressed that, in the coming days, patients from the above-listed primary healthcare clinics as well as the tertiary hospital will benefit from such benevolence free. The Hon. Member appreciated the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, his political aides, and all the constituents for their individual roles and responsibilities for the success of the event. While fielding questions from some journalists on the mechanism to checkmate the diversion or possibly selling of the drugs that were meant to be distributed free.
Hon. Amb. Asama reiterated that there's an adage that says somehow, somehow you have to trust someone; anyhow, at the end of the day, we have to have integrity, and we have to be ethical and be sincere to ourselves. If I had sold these drugs or had diverted them, you wouldn't know, but out of a good heart, and because it's a mandate of Nigeria and the people I brought in, there are a few people that I still believe still have that kind of heart. Our words and our integrity, we believe, will have posterity to judge us.".
Assuring his confidence in the benefitting medical facilities, Hon. Asama said that "I'm presenting this medicine, these drugs, to these people, trusting that they are humanitarians, because every medical person is a humanitarian. And they understand what true humanitarian work means. They will not sell drugs that were given to be dispensed for free. We have told people, and we are repeating it here again: if you go to any of these hospitals we mentioned in these few days and you are able to have a need that needs an essential medicine, these are basic essential drugs. If you need essential medicine, they are able to dispense it to you. You will be surprised; they will tell you, You are not paying anything today. You say, Why? They say it was because someone gave it for free. So, but, generally, I'm just saying, the best we can do is to present it and just follow to the hospital.
We will go to these hospitals two or three days from today and hear from one or two patients. And see how they dispense medicine. And here, someone will tell you, I bought my own. And they will tell him, Ah, what drugs is that? And he will say, It is insulin. Maybe we didn't supply insulin. We'll say, okay, it's understood. Or he said, It's antibacterial, antimalarial. We'll say, Hmm, maybe you didn't quite elaborate on the things. But, like I said again, we will follow up with the hospitals and check in these few days.
The supply we are giving them is not going to last forever.". Hon. Asama maintained that the essential drugs presented are basically covering the endemic diseases, which are typhoid, malaria, gastroenteritis issues, simple injuries, minor surgeries, light wounds, basic rehydration, and infusions, so these are the kinds of things we brought. You wouldn't expect that we'll bring anything out of the essentials, so they are basically essentials and diseases that are endemic to our geographical area. We have basically cross spectrums of antibiotics.
On his part, Dr. Ike Vitus stated that even though glaucoma is an irreversible eyesight ailment, early detection, constant medication, and regular check-ups help, while a diet rich in vitamin A and regular eating of vegetables should be a culture and imbibed. Most of the beneficiaries of the medical outreach rains encomiums on the hon. Member's foresight in this regard, which will go a long way in cushioning the excruciating economic downturn on their already bantered income.
