Embassy drums support for group on healthcare in Nigeria

The Ecuadorian Embassy has pledged to canvass support for improved healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
To this end, the embassy said on Friday that would solicit financial support for Ukaigwe Health Empowerment and Learning, a charitable organisation.
Ecuador Ambassador to Nigeria, Leopoldo Rovayo, said this at a news conference in Abuja.
Rovayo said this would enable UHEAL to actualise her mission of taking healthcare to the poor and realise its quest to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance in Nigeria.
The envoy said that the embassy was partnering with UHEAL Charities Medical Mission, an NGO, to uplift the lives of individuals and families in the rural communities.
Rovayo, who said he participated in one of the outings of the mission held in Okigwe community, Imo State in December 2016, called on local and foreign donors to support the mission.
The Chief Executive Officer of UHEAL, Dr. Patricia Ukaigwe, a US-based medical practitioner, said the mission was committed to increasing access to healthcare.
“UHEAL is committed to improving population health and committing resources to fund medical mission trips, screening and treatment of various health conditions, distribute food, and support widows and orphans,” Ukaigwe said.
Ukaigwe, who said the focus of the mission was on the poor in the rural areas and those displaced by insurgency, added that the mission was passionate about delivering healthcare service to the less privilege.
However, she said that the organisation has been overwhelmed with the number of people who needed attention in the rural areas.
She said the mission screened and treated over 2,000 men, women and children in three strategic locations in Ihube, Okigwe in December 2016, where they were treated for various non-communicable diseases.
Ukaigwe said UHEAL also offered free training to 20 nurses and volunteers who join the mission in its community outreach programmes to increase their knowledge and skills in responding to patients in emergency situations.
According to her, the organisation planned to expand its training programme to other nurses, and healthcare providers as funds become available.