Date: 2016-07-11

Kwara State Government says it is partnering with the Igbomina Community North America Foundation in order to promote access to quality and affordable healthcare services at the grassroots.

The State Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Suleiman Alege, disclosed this at the flag-off of the Igbomina Mobile Clinic sponsored by the foundation. The initiative in partnership with the state Ministry of Health will cover 254 communities lacking essential healthcare facilities.

p>Many of the targeted communities of Igbomina extraction are in Ifelodun, Irepodun and Isin Local Government Areas of the state. Alege said it was the policy thrust of the government to provide effective and efficient healthcare delivery to the people of the state, especially at the grassroots.

He said: "For the purpose of implementation in pursuing this policy thrust, the strategy of this government is to get to the people easily. "This, we are optimistic, will make healthcare delivery services readily available, accessible, affordable and of good quality."

Alege noted that the project was meant to compliment government's efforts in providing healthcare in the areas of preventive education, nutrition education as well as diagnosis and treatment of major silent killer diseases. Alege listed some of the diseases as diabetes, hypertension and malaria.

He cited recent similar partnership interventions to include the MTN Foundation initiative aimed at restoring the eye sights of over 6,000 patients and free surgeries for women suffering from Vesico-Vaginal Fistula. The Chairman of Ifelodun Local Government Area, Dr. Babatunde Salami, pledged the support of the councils to ensuring the success of the project. The chairman of the foundation, Nurudeen Adeyemi, said the project was part of the organisation's corporate social responsibility to improve the living standard of the people of Igbomina communities.

Adeyrmi said: "Looking for ways to impact our people back home, ICNA laid out a vision consistent with the views of the state government and royal fathers. ""essence is to focus on healthcare delivery, human capital development and fostering unity amongst our people."

Adeyemi, who was represented by Alhaji Abdulraheem Adedoyin, a former Commissioner for Information in the state, said the mobile clinic was well equipped with a 22-man medical consultants team of volunteers for optimum performance.

The Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Woleole Sanni, urged the people of Igbominaland to continue to embrace unity, tolerance and peaceful co-existence. Ola Sanni thanked the organisation for the kind gesture and urged other wealthy individuals and groups to emulate it.