By Chioma Obinna

In Nigeria today, several thousands endure the agony and social stigma that accompanied physical deformities and life threatened illness caused in due part to the harshness of the life in their respective towns and villages.

It is not uncommon to see children who develop certain physical mental or neurological problems that either goes unnoticed or untreated throughout their entire lives.  Babies suffering from symptoms like chronic diarrhoea due to dehydration because simple intravenous  drips are not readily available. Some women gave birth to new life and continued to suffer from the emotional and physical anguish of a practice that borders on being torture.

Following these scenarios and others, the annual free health mission by the Nigeria Health Foundation (NHF) was formed to give hope to these hopeless Nigerians.

Since inception, in 1995, the Foundation spearheaded by a Nigeria Medical Doctor based in the United States has treated thousands of people and plans to treat not less than 5000 people in its 5th edition of the mission slated to hold between 9th  through 28th  of July in Umuchieze Obollo Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of  Imo State.

President, NHF, Dr. Iwuozo Obilo who spoke to Good Health Weekly during a press conference  last week in Lagos, said one of the major objectives of NHF is to supports and conduct medical missions to combat spread of diseases and unnecessary death and prevent community deterioration by improving healthcare conditions in the Nigerian population.

Obilo who lamented the deplorable state of the Nigeria healthcare system the newborns are protected. “When you look at our population and country and see the health decay, it is so annoying, a nation so endowed and blessed with so many minerals. One  motivation that informed NHF to help those whom the system has neglected is  that of mother Theresa”.

Lamenting lack of medical equipment in most hospitals across the country, he said this has limited the scope of the health mission as most international surgeons who had volunteered to join the mission cannot make it because there are no surgery equipments for them to use here in Nigeria.

“Most of the hospitals we have been using since 2005 lack the needed equipment for some of the surgeries we would have loved to do.  Even when we tried to use the government hospitals the stories are the same.”

Co-Founder, Mrs Rosanna Obiolo said: “We have been trying to change the perception of the people regarding some of these illnesses.”  She disclosed that the Foundation is planning to establish in future a centre where people can be treated free of charge as part of efforts to assist the in ensuring healthy life for Nigerians.