5-Day Free Medical Outreach Irekpai, Etsako
KUTH Foundation’s first medical mission beyond Lagos State — bringing free healthcare to 7+ villages in Edo State
The Story
In May 2013, KUTH Foundation partnered with Cecy Health Consult to carry out a historic 5-day free medical outreach in Irekpai and neighbouring villages in Etsako West Local Government Area, Uzairue, Edo State. This was the Foundation's first outreach beyond Lagos State — a bold expansion that brought free healthcare, health education, and hope to rural communities with little or no access to medical facilities.
Over five days, the team of doctors, nurses, and scientists treated hundreds of patients, visited primary schools to teach dental hygiene and brain health, distributed insecticide-treated mosquito nets, provided ante-natal care for pregnant women, and even conducted home visits for the elderly and immobile. By the final day, over 700 people were waiting at the workstation.
“The rain was not enough to force the people home as they all waited for their turns so that they could be attended to. Hope had arrived in Irekpai, and nothing — not the storm, not the crowd, not the darkness — could send it away.”
Day by Day: 5 Days That Changed Irekpai
Day 1: Arrival & First Contact
Thursday, 16th May, 2013
Team members arrived Auchi in what promises to be a sensational outreach. Presto Hotels, #100 Warrake Road, Auchi becomes the home of the team during this course. Dr. Durojaye Abayomi introduced every member of the team to each other. The team comprised of doctors, nurses, scientists, and logistics personnel. The team which visited Irekpai comprised of personnel from KUTH Foundation and Cecy Health Consult. The village head's compound served as the workstation in what turned out to be a dramatic and soul-lifting first day in the community. No fewer than seventy (70) villagers were given medical assistance. Vital tests and diagnostic examinations were carried out on them and drugs were administered correspondingly.
Challenges
- •Communication was a major drawback. Most villagers neither understand nor speak English. Pidgin did little to help. The team settled with English-speaking villagers who acted as interpreters.
- •Workstations were outdoor with limited lighting. Torch lights and flash lights from mobile phones weren't enough as almost everybody had to compete for the limited available lights.
The medical team at Presto Hotels, ready for the outreach
The KUTH team with village elders during the first visit to Irekpai
Day 2: Schools, Hope & Healing
Friday, 17th May, 2013
KUTH Foundation and Cecy Health Consult found another way to spread their tentacles by an unannounced visit to Ugbenor Primary School, Ugbenor-Uzairue, Etsako L.G.A. of Edo State. The team tutored pupils on the essence of properly brushing their teeth, the functions of the brain, and the dangers of smoking and alcohol intake. Song sessions and teachings on maintaining good hygiene and avoidance of sharp objects also made the agenda. Tooth brushes, paste, and KUTH Foundation publications were distributed among school pupils and teachers. It was then Odene Primary School, Irekpai-Uzairue that enjoyed a repeat of the show. Providing food and drinks for the people of Irekpai community proved to be a salient point in reawakening hope.
Dr. Durojaye teaching school children about dental hygiene at Ugbenor Primary School
School children lined up to receive toothbrushes and KUTH publications
Children clapping and singing during the health education session
A Cecy Health nurse demonstrating dental hygiene techniques to school children
The medical team distributing KUTH Foundation publications and dental hygiene kits
A KUTH team member engaging children during the dental hygiene session
Day 3: Overwhelming Response
Saturday, 18th May, 2013
There is a popular saying that there is always room for improvement. The beneficiaries were segmented according to age groups: 70 and above, 40 and above, below 40, and children. The news of the free health care had crept into neighbouring villages, drawing an even greater crowd from Ikabigbo, Ugbenor, Ayogwri, Irakhor, Jattu, and even Auchi. Talking points were two teenage boys — Yakubu Musa with a birth trauma and Paulinus Ozara with muscular dystrophy. Pregnant women were invited for ante-natal care and insecticide-treated mosquito nets were distributed. High point of the day was the visit of Engr. Gerald Azonobo, Founder and Executive Director of KUTH Foundation.
Challenges
- •The crowd went extremely viral, proving too hot to handle. It became impossible for them to accept that a doctor cannot attend to more than one person at a time.
- •Rain accompanied by wind and storm unroofed the canopies housing the workstations, forcing the exercise to be adjourned till the following day.
Villagers from Irekpai and neighbouring communities waiting under canopies for medical attention
Dr. Durojaye Abayomi demonstrating insecticide-treated mosquito net usage to pregnant women and nursing mothers
Cecy Health Consult doctors checking vitals of villagers under the outdoor workstation
A medical professional attending to an elderly patient during the Day 3 outreach
A Cecy Health nurse at the pharmacy dispensing station with a wide array of medications
Day 4: The King, The Wheelchair & Home Visits
Sunday, 19th May, 2013
The fourth day had the team, in the company of Engr. Gerald Azonobo, Founder and Executive Director of KUTH Foundation, pay a visit to the King of Auchi in his royal palace. The King and his kinsmen were given a rundown of the Foundation’s objectives and mission. The King applauded the gesture and received an insecticide-treated mosquito net. Back at Irekpai, the day witnessed cash donations and relief materials distribution. The height of it was the donation of a wheelchair to a lame girl. Hope was also taken to those who couldn’t come to the workstation as the team initiated a home visit package for those with tiring feet.
The medical team conducting a home visit, bringing healthcare to those who could not travel to the workstation
A healthcare worker drawing blood from an elderly woman during the medical screenings
A healthcare worker checking the blood pressure of an elderly community member
Day 5: Final Day — 700+ Strong
Monday, 20th May, 2013
The fifth and final day witnessed an explosion in population. The team met over seven hundred people already on standby waiting to be attended to. Over 90% of the children had issues with the scalp of their head — mostly ringworm and other infections induced through unhygienic conditions. Their heads were washed with medicated shampoos and proper ointment and drugs were administered. Mosquito nets were presented to pregnant women and nursing mothers. Another delegation led by Prince Francis Chilaka, Senior Director of Programs & Operations, ensured the people were fed, sharing food and drinks sumptuously. Amid the heavy downpour, the medical team was not deterred. To wrap it all up, the medical team donated the unused drugs and materials to the Primary Health Care Centre.
Women and children packed under the canopy on the final day, waiting patiently for medical care
A nurse examining a child’s scalp for ringworm and other infections
Nursing mothers and their children waiting under the canopy for ante-natal care and mosquito nets
Photo Gallery
More moments from the 5-day medical outreach across Irekpai and neighbouring communities
Program Details
| Program Name | 5-Day Free Medical Outreach, Etsako — Edo State |
| Organization | Keep Up The Hope (KUTH) Foundation |
| Executed By | Cecy Health Consult |
| Date | 16th – 20th May, 2013 |
| Location | Irekpai, Etsako West LGA, Uzairue, Edo State |
| Villages Covered | Irekpai, Ikabigbo, Ugbenor, Ayogwri, Irakhor, Jattu, Auchi |
| Team Lead | Dr. Durojaye Abayomi |
| Team Composition | Doctors, Nurses, Scientists, Logistics Personnel |
| Services | Medical screenings, treatments, health education, ante-natal care, mosquito net distribution, drug dispensing, dental hygiene education |
| Key Milestone | First KUTH Foundation outreach beyond Lagos State |
The Legacy
The 2013 Etsako Medical Outreach was a watershed moment for KUTH Foundation. It proved that the Foundation's model of community-based healthcare delivery could work beyond Lagos — in remote, underserved villages where the nearest hospital could be hours away. The outreach treated over 700 patients across 5 days, visited 2 primary schools, distributed mosquito nets, conducted home visits, and donated unused medical supplies to the local health centre.
From 70 patients on Day 1 to 700+ on Day 5, Irekpai showed KUTH Foundation what happens when hope arrives in a community that has been forgotten. They don't let it go.