Hope Restored at A2S Free Health Clinic

A large crowd gathered outside Gospel Life Bible Church long before the doors were even opened. So many people in the community had heard about the A2S free health clinic! Life is not as pleasant as many of them would like it to be. They wake up with health challenges every morning and do not have the means to get the medical care they need. Worse still is living day by day but never knowing whether or not there is a problem with your health. According to our A2S Nigeria Director, Thecla, “Everyone who attended the A2S health clinic woke up with a challenge but hoped to go to bed with a miracle.”

Members of the community were greeted by A2S staff and volunteers who shared 3 John 2- “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” They were each encouraged that a healthy body and a healthy soul are part of God’s plan for their lives.

The following medical services were carried out free of charge: vision screening, lipid profile test (cholesterol), hepatitis B, blood group, blood sugar level, prostate specific antigen, blood pressure and urinalysis tests. A major highlight of the day was that 91 people got their vision tested and received a free pair of glasses! All ninety-one recipients had never been to see an eye doctor or had a pair of glasses, despite knowing that they had vision problems. Others received eye drops to help alleviate some of the minor vision problems they were encountering. These are problems that over time have affected their abilities to provide for their families, lead a healthy lifestyle, or for the youth, to get a quality education.

Over 100 children also received anthelmintic deworming medicines to help keep them safe from the effects of living in endemic areas. This medicine, in addition to education on health and hygiene, will go a long way to help reduce transmission and infection of at-risk children. Helminth infections have been known to have a significant negative impact on growth and development in struggling countries like Nigeria.

Unfortunately, there were some not so positive but necessary results as expected in such communities. One person received a positive diagnosis for Hepatitis B while three others were referred for major cataract surgery. The A2S team has scheduled private meetings with each of them to discuss next steps.

According to one grateful lady who received a new pair of glasses, “I am so happy right now and filled with joy for what happened in my life today. My eyes have been very bad for so long that it hurts but after I went through the screening and got my glasses this afternoon, everything changed. I have never done a vision test and could barely see if someone was standing in front of me. I am very grateful.”

Thanks to the Delaware Lions Club of Ohio, about 4000 more glasses will be on their way to Nigeria shortly, which means more women like her can get their eyes back. The long term impact is that it allows them to be productive members of society again.

In one day, we were able to serve 271 people in the Oredo community. Special thanks to our partners: Delaware Lions Club of Ohio, for donating the glasses; Gospel Life Bible Church, for providing support and volunteers; Optimax Eye Care Nigeria; and all our donors and supporters. So many Nigerians, like this blessed lady, woke up with a challenge but went home with a miracle.