Kuje:Over 100 inmates at the Kuje Custodial Centre benefited from a free medical outreach organized by the Support and Help Outpatient Foundation (SHOF) on Thursday.
Accourding to News Agency of Nigeria, the event, supported by various health and institutional partners, took place under the theme ‘Restoring Health, Restoring Hope, Health Beyond Walls’. The outreach provided inmates with free medical services, medications, and hygiene materials.
Mr. Anosike Richard, Founder and CEO of SHOF, stated that the initiative aimed to ensure inmates had access to healthcare and awareness of their health status. The outreach focused on medical tests, diagnosis, treatment, counseling, and medication for conditions such as malaria, hypertension, diabetes, HIV, and hepatitis.
The foundation also donated over 30 different types of medications, sanitary pads for female inmates, and personal hygiene items, including slippers, toothpaste, toothbrushes, tissue paper, and disinfectants. Anosike shared that his personal experience surviving a motor accident inspired him to establish SHOF to aid those unable to afford medical care, emphasizing that health is a right, not a privilege of location.
Dr. Glory Essien, Assistant Controller-General, Medical and Clinical Services, Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), expressed gratitude for SHOF’s collaboration in providing medical services to inmates. She highlighted the prioritization of inmate health and thanked the Controller-General of Corrections, CG Sylvester Nwakuche, for supporting the outreach and similar initiatives. Efforts are underway to enroll inmates nationwide under the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Dr. Nnadika David, one of the attending doctors, noted that hypertension was a prevalent health issue during the outreach. He also mentioned that SHOF has been providing medical support for over a decade to individuals who cannot afford healthcare, and a follow-up plan has been established for inmates requiring further medical attention.
The outreach received support from the Central Bank of Nigeria, NISA Premier Hospital, Dajo Hospital Ltd, Classic Supermarket, and Lux Flush Hygiene and Sanitation.