Hundreds of people are to benefit from free medical surgery organised by Rotary International in collaboration with Kwara State Government, even as Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed described Rotary International as a worthy collaborator .

The operation will be carried out by medical experts from India for two weeks.

Speaking at the flag off ceremony at Sobi Specialists Hospital, Ilorin, Wednesday, Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed of the state, said free medical surgery is a critical complement to the state governor's strive for affordable and accessible health care delivery in the state.

Ahmed described Rotary International's resolve to collaborate with the state government to carry out free medical surgery as welcome and timely intervention.

Through this intervention, the governor noted, hundreds of lives will be saved, while others with impaired conditions will fully recover their health.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Isiaka Gold, the governor explained that part of the enduring legacy of the state government in the health sector is the Community Health Insurance Scheme under which the state have registered more than 65,000 enrollees and fulfilled more than 500,000 clinical requests for quality medical care.

Ahmed said for just N300, enrollees enjoy free medical treatment for twelve months.

"The massive remodeling of General Hospitals and Primary Health Care centres across the state, supply of hospital equipments, the continuous recruitment and training of health workers service, all testify to the scale of government's efforts to ensure the availability of quality healthcare to the people within a 500 meter radius," he said.

While commending Rotary International for rendering selfless service to poor and needy members of the society, he called on other private sector and non-governmental organization to take advantage of the conducive Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and collaborate with government for the mutual benefit of all Kwarans.

In his welcome address, the Rotary District Governor (D9125), Felix Ayodele Obadan, said for the next two weeks, people will benefit from the selfless services of another multi-specialty medical team comprising three ophthalmologists, two obstetricians/gynaecologists, a general surgeon, a urologist, a dentist, two anaesthesiolgists and a paediatric surgeon.

He expressed hope that hundreds of patients would not only benefit from their skills and humanity, their Nigerian counterparts doctors and paramedical staff would share experience and enhance their service delivery.

Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Kayode Abdul Issa said the intervention of the Rotary International in providing free medical surgery for over one thousand indigent members of the society will go a long way in adding genuine value to people's life.

He said the state government had played host to other reputable international organizations like Sight Savers International, KSANG, Apollo Hospital Management from India, among others on medical mission to add value to government effort at solving the health challenges of the people.

The leader of the medical team, Dr. Pradeep Nemani, thanked Rotary International for giving them opportunity to serve humanity and commended the state government on the establishment of diagnostic centre which said can mark any centre in the world.

The representative of Minister of Health, Mrs. Philomena Ogbuadu appealed to government to do follow up on those that will be operated so as to foster future occurrence of their health challenges.