UniJos Staff Multi purpose Cooperative Society Limited UJSMCSL has concluded a three day free medical outreach with commendations from across board for achieving a historic feat.
The exercise which is the first ever initiative, to take care of the health needs of members of the Cooperative, Staff and Students of the University of Jos, commenced on Tuesday 10th June, 2025 at the Ultra Modern Cooperative Office complex, Naraguta Campus of the University.
In his remark, during a brief opening ceremony, Comrade Ramson Lohfa, the President of UniJos Multi purpose Cooperative said, on assumption of Office, Exco discovered that most members of the Cooperative were faced and were battling with different health challenges, and were in dare need of funds for treatment, hence the need to organize a free medical outreach for general body check up, health counselling and consultations.
Comrade Ramson said the cooperative made available drugs to be given to members for free, however, members who were diagnosed with severe cases would be referred and where they can not afford to pay for drugs, provision will be made to deduct from their savings and not from their salaries.
Dr Louis Nwokolo, the Ag. Director of the University of Jos Health Services (UHS) while presenting a health talk on preventive medicine, urged members to embrace constant physical exercise, at least 3 times a week, regular medical check ups, eating the right meals at the right time etc. These according to him will go along way in preventing most of the common diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, kidney failure and many others.
One of the medical doctors, Dr Andrew Shainaan in a good will message said there is no one drug that fits every body, even the conventional drugs that are given. He therefore urged members to use drugs with caution. He said the exercise is commendable because it is a way of reaching out to the people to get health education and health care.
Dr Amos Pam Choji, Secretary General of the Cooperative and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the outreach said that one of the core responsibilities of the cooperative is to meet the welfare needs of members, and one of such involves the health need of members, and as a cooperative, complaints were received from members on a daily basis who are suffering from and battling with one health challenge or the other and as a result, the Exco of the cooperative felt it is necessary to come up with the exercise to sensitise members on the need to know their health conditions and take proactive steps so that they will not be caught unaware.
Juliana Olajide (anipr) the Public Relations Officer of UJSMCSL and member of the organizing committee, while urging members to take advantage of the exercise to improve their health conditions said that the committee leveraged on useful related research outcomes within the Institution, the University Health services and other pharmaceutical outlets around the University to make the outreach a huge success.
She further explained that the exercise was an opportunity for Member to harness the power of natural products approved by NAFDAC to treat diseases and also improve their lifestyle generally.
Highpoint of the medical outreach was the expression of gratitude to the Executives of the cooperative for the nobel initiative by beneficiaries not limited to members alone but also family members students and even the residents of the neighbouring communities.
The outreach initially slated for three days was extended by one day due to the yearnings of cooperators who prayed that the exercise should be held at least twice in a year
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