TRIBUTE: Oyelade, the ‘NYSC doctor’ saving lives with free surgeries

The Nigerian civil war of 1967 to 1970 marked a deep wound in the soul of the country and led to some three million deaths. It was difficult for the country to heal up and move on, for its people to deep their hands in the same bowl and eat as brothers. But those narratives are changing. Young Nigerians are changing them.

In 1973, when Yakubu Gowon, the then head of state, instituted the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for the integration of Nigeria, little did he know he was saving the lives of his kinsmen, 42 years into the future!

In 2014, Temitope Oyelade, a 27-year-old medical doctor, born to peasant farmers in Idiroko – a small village in Okeigbo, Ondo state, in the southwest – was posted to Jos, in north-central Plateau state, having graduated from the University of Ibadan medical school.

On arrival, Oyelade remained resolute and focused, aiming to touch as many lives as possible, regardless of the kind of environment he found himself.

He was initially posted to Shendam local government area, but moved on to Pankshin to meet specific needs.

“I was posted initially to Shendam local government but I met the chairman of Pankshin local government, who told me that they did not have a doctor and they needed one seriously. We were three in Shendam, so I decided to move out,” Oyelade told TheCable.

HOW IT STARTED

While consulting at a free medical outreach organised by the project office of the millennium development goals (MDGs) at Nyelleng in February, 2015, Oyelade encountered 12-year-old Nguwal Manji who had a left inguinoscrotal hernia – a condition he diagnosed to be only surgically amendable.

He approached the care givers, notifying them of a need to visit a bigger hospital for surgery, stating the cost implication. In a month, Oyelade, had seen four similar cases, where the patients had no financial strength to proceed to surgery.

In no time, the number of persons in need of one surgery or the other, ranging from herniorraphy, excision biopsy, emergency caesarean section, hydrocoelectomy and ligation of patent processus vaginalis, had risen to 28.

Bwapdang Morshimwa, a pregnant 30-year-old woman had twin pregnancy with abnormal presentation of first twin, which required a swift elective caesarean section.

Oyelade said: “Most of them insisted that their whole year’s work could not be enough for the surgery.” Electricity was a major challenge; the village is off the power grid, with over 1,000 people having to jostle to get water from one MDG drilled borehole.

Doctor Ballang Tope, as he was later christened by the people of Ballang Shipang village, sourced funds needed for the surgeries, consequently saving lives of many Ngas – Gowon’s tribesmen.

And from the brinks of death, Oyetade’s initiative for free medical and surgical services saved not just the 39 patients eventually operated, but also those of the newborn babies from the caesarean sections.

When asked what drove him to run this programme, Oyetade said he never forget that he also has parents who still live in the village, even if in another state. He has also participated in village outreaches and felt the need to do this in line with the NYSC community development projects.

‘PERFECTLY SUCCESSFUL’ SURGERIES

The surgeries, which had a 100 percent success, were sponsored by Stephen Jings, chairman of the local government, in collaboration with the primary health care centre in Ballang Shipang.

Jings, who has been chairman for just one month, said he was impressed by the talent shown by the “indefatigable doctor”, who had “medicine built in him”.

“He is an asset; I want to retain him, because I want him to help my rural community,” Jings said. “He is something else. He didn’t read medicine by choice, I think it is built in him. He is so passionate about it.”

The transitional chairman, who could be replaced at any time, said he sponsored the programme to help his community and encourage the young doctor. He said, “I want to do it as if I’m going to leave tomorrow.”

Last week, between September 3 and 5, Oyelade led a group of friends he made on the Plateau and another of medical practitioners from the state to operate 39 people for free, providing necessary medications.

Rather than ascribe glory to himself, he thanked Gowon for the NYSC platform.

“I am also grateful to this great Nigerian that was the visionary of two institutions (NYSC and Unity Colleges). I benefited immensely from Yakubu Gowon,” Oyelade said.

“Coincidentally, his kinsmen (Ngas tribe of plateau) are the beneficiaries of my project. I am grateful to you sir and for your ‘Nigeria prays’ effort.”

THE PERMANENT SOLUTION

Citing a report by some medical students in Oyo state in 2012, Oyelade said farmers and artisans were all interested in the NHIS and wished government would include them.

He urged the government to work on a community-based health insurance scheme, which makes room for rural communities.

“While we were planning this, I delivered a speech and asked the chairman that if he could tell the federal government to work on a community-based health insurance scheme where every individual can contribute say, N200 to N500 per month and assess health care for free,” he added.

“The chairman promised to look into it and perhaps sponsor a bill that would amend the NHIS (national health insurance scheme) and look into incorporating a community-based system.

“The current NHIS is only for people who work for government and established institutions.”

To a country in dire need of change, change cannot be truer than the uniting deeds of young Nigerians like Oyelade, who would go out of their ways to impact society.

Inspiring scientist Margaret Mead’s words are once again true: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”