The Leukaemia Care Plus Initiative has commenced moves to reactivate the long-abandoned clinic at the Durumi Area 1 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Abuja, with a commitment to provide regular medical services to displaced persons in the community.
Founder of the initiative and Consultant Haematologist, Dr. Chikadibia Ukoma, disclosed this during a medical outreach and health awareness programme organised by the non-governmental organisation at the camp.
More than 150 women and children benefited from free medical consultations, medical examinations, drugs and other healthcare services during the outreach.
Ukoma, who is also Vice President of the Nigerian Cancer Society, said the initiative was driven by the need to ensure that people displaced by insecurity do not feel abandoned or neglected.
He expressed concern that residents of the camp had been left for years without adequate access to doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers.
According to him, the organisation intends to visit the camp every month to provide medical services while working towards the reactivation of the abandoned clinic.
“We are reaching out to ensure that this IDP camp community does not feel abandoned because insecurity displaced them from their ancestral homes. They should not feel neglected or abandoned; rather, we should give them maximum support,” he said.
The haematologist recalled an encounter with a pregnant woman at the camp whose blood pressure had risen to about 210, saying the timely intervention of his team helped stabilise her condition and enabled her to deliver her baby safely.
“It is a kind of joy to me, with my heart, to see the woman survive. I hope people will appreciate what we are doing and our impact on society,” he said.
Ukoma also used the occasion to educate the beneficiaries about leukaemia, stressing that the disease was a medical condition and not a form of witchcraft.
He urged Nigerians to seek proper medical attention for suspected cases of blood cancer, noting that leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma require appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
The organisation, which is based in Keffi, Nasarawa State, is dedicated to supporting people living with blood cancers and increasing awareness about the diseases.
During the outreach, the medical team, comprising three doctors, three nurses and other health workers, conducted basic medical checks and administered drugs to beneficiaries suffering from various ailments.
Ukoma appealed to individuals, corporate organisations and other well-meaning Nigerians to partner with and support the initiative financially to enable it to expand its healthcare interventions.
He explained that the initiative is largely sustained through personal efforts and support from friends who contribute towards the medical outreaches.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the women leader at the camp, Hajia Fatima Abubakar Bello, said many of the residents were displaced from Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State by Boko Haram insurgency.
She disclosed that about 350 families, comprising men, women and children, currently reside in the Durumi IDP Camp.
Bello expressed concern over what she described as inadequate attention from government officials, alleging that some officials only visit the camp during political campaigns to solicit votes.
She commended the Leukaemia Care Plus Initiative for providing medical services to the displaced persons and supporting the education of their children.
The outreach also featured the distribution of mosquito nets, clothing and shoes to women and children at the camp.If you want, I can also turn this into a shorter, more punchy online news version suitable for a news website or social media publication.