Osun State government has revealed its plans to commence free medical care and surgical palliative for the residents of the state.

Jola Akintola, the state’s commissioner for Health, in a news conference yesterday revealed that the medical care programme tagged “Imole free medical care” which was the second phase, would serve as palliative to cushion the effect of the petrol subsidy removal. According to NAN, the commissioner said the first phase of the programme, which was carried out between February and March, catered for 22,000 people. “As a way of touching the lives of sick people in the state, the governor assembled qualified health workers in the state, spearheaded by those at the Uniosun Teaching Hospital, to take health care to our people,” he said.

“Although the initial plan was to have 2,000 people taken care of at each of the nine federal constituencies, which equals 18,000 people, the  medical team, however, ended up taking care of 22,000 people.” Akintola said the medical palliative would be flagged off on August 16 at the Ilesa general hospital.

According to the commissioner, the palliative would include general surgical care, eye surgery, and giving out of eyeglasses which would be provided free by the state government.

He added that the six centres in Ilesa, Ile-Ife (Osun-east), Ede, Iwo (Osun-west) and Ila and Osogbo (Osun Central) would be used for the medical outreach programme.

Also speaking, Peter Olaitan, the chief medical director (CMD) of the University of Osun Teaching Hospital, said only minor surgical procedures would be attended to during the programme. Olaitan, who is also the chairman of the implementation committee of the medical outreach, said people that require major surgical operations would be given referrals to the teaching hospital for their treatment.