The Free Surgical Intervention Programme for indigent people initiated by the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has been flagged off with surgical operations performed on patients at the State 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 palliative to the people.
Speaking after witnessing the first surgery performed on a patient under the free surgery programme at the State Hospital, Ilaro, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Rotimi Ogungbe said the programme which is the brainchild of the governor was meant to bring relief to people with medical challenges that needed a surgical operation.
The services rendered under the programme, Dr. Ogungbe highlighted include preoperative, operative, and post-operative.
He said: “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. The free surgery programme covers all operations including orthopedics, we are doing gynecological operations, obstetrics and others.”
The special adviser applauded the state government for making available medical equipment and other surgical resources, noting that medical personnel has been fully mobilized to make the programme a success.
The Coordinator in charge of the programme in Yewa Zone, Dr. Bashirudeen Oni said surgical operations would be carried out on patients with breast lumps, hernia, fibroid, goiters, soft tissue sarcoma, lipoma, prostrate enlargement, adrenalectomy, cataract amongst others.
He said the hospital hoped to operate on about eight patients from the start and scale it up as the programme progresses.
In his contribution, the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Yusuf Abdulwahab commended the people for turning out in large numbers to benefit from the programme, disclosing that those who were cleared were already undergoing surgical operations.
Mrs. Saidat Dopemu and Miss Ogunsiji Waidat who were the first and second patients to be operated at the Ilaro hospital, appreciated the governor for the gesture, saying it would have been difficult to raise money if they were to pay for the operation.
