By Ahmed A. Usman, Kafanchan
At dawn in Malagum-Kagoro, the quiet usually broken only by the crowing of roosters, a different kind of movement began to unfold. Women clutching medical cards, elderly men leaning on walking sticks, and anxious parents holding the hands of children born into pain gathered with one shared expectation — hope.
For many of them, this was not just another outreach. It was a lifeline.
The ongoing five-day Free Medical Outreach organised by the Jennifer Etuh Foundation is targeting over 3,000 beneficiaries, cutting across communities often forgotten by access to quality healthcare. From Malagum-Kagoro in Kaduna State to distant corners of Kogi, Gombe, Cross River, Osun, and Imo States, the foundation is running the programme across six hospitals, one in each geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
For families who have lived with untreated illnesses for years, the intervention feels nothing short of a miracle.
A HOSPITAL WITHOUT FEES, BUT FULL OF STORIES
Inside the Jennifer Etuh Specialist Hospital in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the corridors are filled with quiet prayers, whispered gratitude, and the soft cries of children awaiting treatment. Doctors move briskly from one unit to another, while volunteers guide patients with reassuring smiles.
The outreach offers a wide range of medical services including:
- Medical consultations
- General and specialised surgeries
- Ophthalmology
- Dental care
- Gynaecology and obstetrics
- Laboratory services
- Free medications
Each service tells a story. Each patient carries a burden once thought too heavy to lift.
“ONLY GOD KNEW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED”
Among the beneficiaries is Lois Yunana, a mother whose young son has battled hernia since childhood. Sitting quietly outside the recovery ward, her eyes tell a story of years spent in silent despair.
“Only God knows what would have happened to my son,” she said, fighting back tears. “We don’t have the money for surgery. Since he was small, he has been suffering. Every day I feared for his life.”
Her son successfully underwent surgery during the outreach — free of charge.
With trembling hands, she expressed gratitude to the Jennifer Etuh Foundation. “This programme saved my child. God will reward everyone behind it.”
A RUSH FOR HOPE
For Christiana Daniel, the announcement of the outreach came like a divine call. Her six-year-old son had lived with hernia since birth.
“When we heard the announcement that Jennifer Etuh Foundation was coming to Malagum, we rushed here immediately,” she said. “We could not afford treatment anywhere else.”
Her son is now recovering, one of many children whose futures have been rewritten inside the walls of the hospital.
SURGERIES WITHOUT HITCHES
Inside the theatre room, where lives quietly change, one of the attending doctors confirmed that surgeries have been ongoing smoothly, with no complications or challenges.
“The process has been seamless,” the doctor said. “The team is well-coordinated, and patients are responding well. It’s rewarding to see people regain hope.”
COMPLEMENTING GOVERNMENT EFFORTS
Speaking to our reporter, the Programme Manager of the foundation, Joseph Otu, explained that the outreach is not a replacement for government responsibility but a support system.
“What we are doing is to complement government efforts,” he said. “Healthcare is a collective responsibility. We believe that when foundations, government, and communities work together, lives are saved.”
BEYOND MEDICINE: EDUCATING THE FUTURE
Beyond surgeries and drugs, the outreach also focuses on preventive healthcare and awareness. Special sessions are held for adolescent girls, educating them on personal hygiene, reproductive health, avoiding unwanted pregnancies, and preventing sexually transmitted diseases.
For many young girls attending these sessions, it is their first exposure to structured health education.
MORE THAN AN OUTREACH
As the sun sets over Malagum-Kagoro, patients slowly leave the hospital compound — some with bandaged wounds, others with clear vision restored, many with hearts lighter than when they arrived.
The Jennifer Etuh Foundation’s free medical outreach is more than a programme. It is a reminder that healthcare, when delivered with compassion, restores dignity.
And for thousands of Nigerians across six states, it is proof that sometimes, hope wears a white coat and arrives just in time.
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