TheCable

The Ogun government has commenced a free surgery intervention programme for poor people in the state.

The initiative by Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun, was flagged off on Tuesday with surgical operations performed on patients at the state-owned hospitals in Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode, and Ilaro.

The programme which began with the registration of beneficiaries would involve major and minor surgical operations as part of the governor’s medical palliatives to the people.

Rotimi Ogungbe, the special adviser to the governor on health, said the programme is meant to bring relief to people with medical challenges who need surgical operation.

“I have gone round and I have seen the people who have been operated on. What the governor has done is unprecedented in the history of this state,” Ogungbe said.

“The free surgery programme covers all operations including orthopaedics, we are doing gynaecological operations, obstetrics, and others.”

Ogungbe applauded the state government for making available medical equipment and other surgical resources for the people of the state.

On his part, Bashirudeen Oni, coordinator in charge of the programme in the Yewa zone, said surgical operations would be carried out on patients with breast lumps, hernia, fibroid, goitres, soft tissue sarcoma, lipoma, prostate enlargement, adrenalectomy, cataract, amongst other health conditions.

Tayo Lawal, another adviser to the governor on health, who spoke in Ijebu Ode, said everyone registered to undertake a free surgery during the programme would be issued an Ogun State Health Insurance Agency (OGSHIA) card fully paid for by the governor.

“The OGSHIA program has been on for some time now. What it simply means is that for a card of N1,000 per month or N12,000 per year, you are entitled to about 200 ailments captured under the insurance scheme,” Lawal said.

“Once you are above 18, you can pay. But, for a family of six, we capture them under that scheme of N12,000 per year. That is different from what we are doing now.

“We are just using this as a way of bringing more people into the insurance scheme because everyone registered here will be given a card which will entitle them to visit the hospital for the next one year. It’s been paid for by Governor Dapo Abiodun.”

One of the beneficiaries, Adebanjo Adebukola, said the free surgical intervention programme has given her the hope of doing her operation without paying a dime.

Another resident, Fadipe Solomon, appreciated the governor for allowing them to have their surgery done without paying any amount.