Gbenro Adesina
In commemoration of late Lt. Colonel (Dr) Tolulope Olufemi Akintunde Aduroja, who died in his sleep, at Yokota Air Base, Japan, while on a US Military mission, a USA based Non-Governmental Organisation, Maternal Cords, which the deceased was a founding member, held the 9th free medical outreach on Thursday December 23, 2021, at Naomi Medical Centre, Oke Padre, Ibadan, where 120 indigent patients benefitted.
Maternal Cords, in conjunction with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Jesus House, Birmingham, Alabama, Naomi Medical Centre, Oke Padre and a newly founded USA based Tolu Aduroja Foundation, funded the project running to about N2million.
Specifically, the individuals that are currently behind the project are: five University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan trained medics, four of which are now based in USA: Dr. Francis Ayo Obuseh, a retired Major in the US Air Force and an International Health Specialist/Epidemiologist, Dr. John Louis-Ugbo, an Orthopaedic Surgeon with Emory University, Atlanta Georgia, Dr. Benjamin Blagogee, a Family Medicine/ Occupational Health Consultant from Wisconsin, and Dr. Biola Aduroja, Medical Director of Naomi Medical Centre.
One of the highlights of the one-day free medical outreach, which had five medical doctors, over 20 nurses, some pharmacists and other paramedical practitioners, was a successful Cesarean operation on Mrs Oluwatoyin Idowu, which brought forth a health baby girl.
Also, four major hernia and three fibroid surgeries are slated for Friday December 31, 2021. Other ailments attended to were malaria and hypertension, which formed the bulk of the complaints by the patients.
In an exclusive interview, the Chief Medical Director of Naomi Medical Centre, Dr Abiola Aduroja, assured that the project was not an elaborate one because the USA medical experts expected to attend to serious issues could not come to Nigeria due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Aduroja, however, assured that the 2022 edition will be an elaborate one that will accommodate eye surgeries and ear, nose and throat (ENT) problems.
He said, “Next edition will be bigger, and it is going to be a 3-day affair. The scope will be wider. Among medical experts we are expecting from USA are surgeons, ophthalmologists, and eyes doctors. We will treat specialized ailments”.
Speaking about the motive behind the project, Aduroja stated, “Basically, it is about giving back to the society that made us. All of us that are behind this project are trained by the University College Hospital (UCH), of the University of Ibadan (UI). We will for ever be indebted to UI and Nigeria as a whole. Therefore, whatever we can afford to give back, we will give, no matter how little. If Nigerians can imbibe this spirit, the spirit of giving back to our nation, the society will be better than what it is today”.
One of the beneficiaries, Aishatu Sani-Musa, 35, living in Sabo Area of the ancient city commended the organisers of the outreach for looking after the poor.
She said that her two children, who have been down with typhoid malaria had been medically attended to, saying that she could not take them to hospital for treatment because she would not be able to foot their medical bill.
She explained, “I am a widow. My husband was killed on March 22, 2016 by armed robbers. While alive, he was into bureau de change business. On this fateful day, he went to collect money in the bank for his business. When he came out of the bank with his money, the robbers shot him dead and went away with his money. Ever since, things have been difficult for us. We are just managing. I was an “Eleha”, when he was alive and I am still an “Eleha”. These days, I only make Sobo drink and sell at home. When my daughter return from school, she hawks around. So, we have been taken care of ourselves with the money we make from sale of sobo drink”.
She added, “My first child withdrew from school in primary school. He cannot go back to school because there is no money”.
Corroborating his mother, Firas Musa, who makes N1500 from suya business said that he would like to go back to school if he has somebody who can sponsor him.
His younger sister, who is in JSS 2 at Army Grammar School, said that she was managing to forge ahead with her studies.
She said, “I assist my mother to sell Sobo drink. The little money that we make from sobo drink is what my mother is using to send me to school. Life has been tough for us since armed robbers killed our father”.
Others who commended the organisers of the outreach were Muhammed Olaleye, a BP patient, and Pa Rabiu Oyeleye.
They said most of those who came for the programme could not ordinarily access good medical care, urging well meaning Nigerians to be of assistance to the poor in whatever way.
Tolulope, whom the event was held in his honour, was born on Tuesday April 4, 1967 in Imeko, Ogun State to a bank manager, late Oladele Aduroja of Ilesa, Osun State and a nurse, Mrs Florence Oluyemi Aduroja of Ondo city in Ondo State. He attended Mayflower Primary and secondary schools between 1972 and 1982. He had his A Levels at Government College, Ibadan in 1982, after which he proceeded to the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, where he obtained Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree in 1994. He also obtained Master’s in Public Health, MPH (Epidemiology) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama in 2005. He had PhD in Health Education and Health Promotion from the Department of Health Behaviour, UAB Ryais School of Public Health, Birmingham, Alabama. Tolulope had triple board certificate in Psychiatry, child and Adolescence Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine.
He got married to his wife, Ayodele Olanireti Kayode in 1997 and they were blessed with two lovely daughters, Naomi Oladele and Hannah Olamide. He was an active member and past president of Mayflower School Alumni. As Chairman of the Ex-Mays Global Charity, he oversaw the yearly award of 10 scholarships to students graduating from Mayflower School.
Tolu died on Saturday November 28, 2020.
