**Renewed Hope: FCTA Launches Free Medical Campaign in Bwari**
Recently, the community of Bwari hosted a commendable initiative by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA): a free medical campaign. The event, which brought together over 3,370 residents at the Science Pilot Primary School in Bwari, offered a range of essential medical services.
The programme, dubbed the “Renewed Hope Medical Mission”, is a symbol of the administration’s commitment to addressing the diverse health needs of the people of the nation’s capital. From health promotion to antenatal care, vaccination, screening for HIV, diabetes, hypertension and sickle cell disease, as well as free dental services and nutritional assessment, the campaign offers comprehensive medical coverage.
The Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, highlighted the importance of this initiative in the context of rapid population growth in the FCT. This growth is putting increased pressure on health services, creating major challenges for local authorities. The Minister reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to providing quality health services, thereby meeting the diverse needs of the FCT population.
Highlighting the challenges facing Nigeria in terms of maternal and child health, the Minister stressed the importance of adequate antenatal care, hospital deliveries and high immunization and family planning rates, especially in hard-to-reach communities. In this light, the FCT administration is committed to strengthening the primary health system by renovating, upgrading and constructing more primary health centres across the six councils in the region and recruiting more health professionals.
The FCT Mandated Secretary for Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, regretted that despite efforts to improve access to quality healthcare for residents of the Federal Capital, many communities remain underserved. She stressed the importance of free medical missions in addressing the health needs of the underprivileged and vulnerable populations by providing targeted medical and surgical care directly to those in need.
The success of the recent free medical campaign held in Kuje council has given rise to the expansion of the medical mission for the year 2024. Thousands of patients have already benefited from essential medical services during the mission, reinforcing the effectiveness of this proactive approach to health.
In conclusion, this free medical campaign in Bwari symbolises the commitment of the Federal Capital Territory Administration to provide quality health care to its population. By providing essential medical services directly to local communities, this initiative demonstrates the importance of equitable access to health care for all.