The Jennifer Etuh Foundation (JEF) has commenced a five-day free medical outreach at the Jennifer Etuh Specialist Hospital, Mallagum, Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, targeting more than 3,000 women and residents of underserved communities.

The outreach, which began on August 17 and ends on August 21, is part of the foundation’s efforts to take healthcare services to hard-to-reach communities while supporting women, children and vulnerable groups.

Speaking with journalists at the hospital, Programme Manager of JEF, Joe Otu, said the initiative was driven by the need to make quality healthcare accessible to people who often face financial and geographical barriers.

Otu said the foundation, established in 2020 in memory of the late Mrs Jennifer Ramatu Etuh, had established six specialist medical facilities across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, deliberately locating them in underserved communities.

He disclosed that JEF had so far reached 97,724 patients through 236,557 interventions across 24 medical outreaches in 10 states, while this year alone, nearly 40,000 interventions had been provided to about 15,000 beneficiaries.

At the Kaduna outreach, more than 600 patients were attended to on the first day, with health workers reporting high cases of hypertension, diabetes, peptic ulcer disease, infections and conditions requiring surgery.

Project Coordinator and Pro-Health International volunteer, Joy Audu, said the medical team had recorded dangerously high blood pressure readings among some patients, including people in their 30s and 40s.

She attributed some of the challenges to inadequate health awareness and reliance on unqualified health providers, urging government and community leaders to intensify health education and strengthen primary healthcare services.

Programme Officer of JEF, Christiana Afolayan, said the outreach offers free general medical services, laboratory tests, dental care, eye care and surgeries for conditions including hernia, fibroid and goitre. Beneficiaries also receive medicines, mosquito nets, infant formula, sanitary pads and other support.

She added that the programme includes vaccinations such as HPV, DPT and Zero-Dose immunisation, stressing that although women, girls and children remain a major focus, men are also eligible for treatment.

Some beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the intervention, saying the free services had enabled them to access treatment and procedures they could not otherwise afford.

Beyond healthcare, JEF is implementing a three-year Kaduna Women Economic Empowerment Programme, targeting 3,000 beneficiaries in skills acquisition and agricultural production across selected local government areas.

The foundation said it would continue its scholarship programme from primary to university level and expand its healthcare, education and economic empowerment initiatives to more underserved communities across Nigeria.