By Abdullahi Tukur
About 1,500 patients in Kebbi State are expected to undergo free surgical procedures as the World Assembly of Muslim Youths (WAMY), in partnership with the Nasara Foundation and the Kebbi State Government, begins a major medical outreach in the state.
The week-long intervention is targeting vulnerable residents who may otherwise struggle to afford specialised medical treatment, bringing doctors and specialists together to provide surgical and other healthcare services at no cost to beneficiaries.
The development comes shortly after another major medical intervention in the state, where 3,000 Kebbi residents were targeted for free treatment by 25 doctors from Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.
WAMY Medical Team Arrives in Kebbi
Kebbi State Governor, Comrade Nasir Idris, welcomed the WAMY medical team during a courtesy visit to the Government House in Birnin Kebbi and commended the organisation for choosing the state for the humanitarian intervention.
The governor said the outreach would provide an important opportunity for residents who cannot easily afford specialised healthcare to receive treatment and surgical procedures.
“This is a clear sign that WAMY is doing great charity work for humanity. I want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the leadership of WAMY and the Nasara Foundation for this gesture, so that our good people will benefit from it,” Idris said.
He assured the visiting team that the Kebbi State Government would continue to create an enabling environment for humanitarian organisations and medical partners willing to support residents.
“The government of Kebbi State and its people are very, very happy and appreciate this programme. The government will continue to create an enabling environment for this type of programme,” the governor added.
1,500 Patients to Receive Free Surgery
WAMY Executive Director, Hisham Muhammad, said the organisation had deployed a team of medical experts to Kebbi for a week-long general surgery outreach which commenced on Saturday.
He said approximately 1,500 patients would benefit from free surgical operations, while the wider medical mission would provide additional healthcare services to residents.
The exercise is being conducted as part of a broader collaboration involving WAMY, the Nasara Foundation and the Kebbi State Government.
The scale of the intervention is significant for residents who face financial barriers to specialist treatment, particularly where surgical procedures and post-operative care can place considerable pressure on household finances.
General Surgery, Gynaecology and Paediatric Cases
The medical team is led by Dr Abdul Latif Barnawi, a general surgeon, and includes specialists from different medical fields.
Barnawi said the outreach would focus mainly on general surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics, as well as paediatric surgery.
Women with health and obstetric conditions are among those expected to benefit, with the medical team scheduled to perform necessary procedures and provide medication and post-operative care.
The focus on women and children also comes against the backdrop of continuing efforts to improve healthcare outcomes in Kebbi. The Bureau Journal recently reported on Kebbi and UNICEF’s strategy to improve maternal, newborn, adolescent and child health, highlighting the importance of coordinated interventions across the state’s healthcare system.
WAMY said it intends to expand both the scope of its medical missions and the number of beneficiaries in subsequent interventions in Kebbi.
Governor Idris Commends Medical Personnel
Governor Idris also praised the doctors and other medical personnel taking part in the outreach, describing their commitment of time and expertise as an important demonstration of compassion.
He acknowledged WAMY’s humanitarian activities in different parts of the world and said Kebbi was willing to maintain its partnership with the organisation beyond the current medical exercise.
“Our doors are open. In whatever way that you want us to partner, not only on this medical outreach, the government of Kebbi State is ever ready to continue to partner with you,” Idris said.
The governor’s comments underline the state government’s interest in attracting humanitarian and development organisations capable of complementing public healthcare services.
Medical Outreach Comes Amid Wider Health Challenges
The latest intervention forms part of a wider pattern of healthcare and humanitarian programmes targeting vulnerable communities in Kebbi.
Earlier this year, UNICEF donated 10,500 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food to Kebbi to strengthen treatment for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition across 11 local government areas.
The state has also been working with development partners on longer-term healthcare planning. Stakeholders from Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara have been involved in UNICEF’s planning process for a 2028–2032 programme aimed at improving outcomes for women and children.
These interventions point to a healthcare landscape where government programmes, international organisations and humanitarian groups increasingly operate alongside one another to address gaps in access and affordability.
Beyond Healthcare: A Wider Development Agenda
For Kebbi, the medical outreach also fits into a broader development conversation involving infrastructure, social services and human capital.
Medical interventions such as the WAMY outreach can provide immediate relief to residents, particularly those who have delayed treatment because of cost. The longer-term challenge, however, remains ensuring that access to specialist care becomes increasingly sustainable within the state’s healthcare system.
WAMY Plans More Interventions
According to WAMY, the current mission is not intended to be a one-off intervention.
The organisation plans to broaden the number of medical specialties covered and increase the number of beneficiaries during future missions in Kebbi.
That prospect could provide additional opportunities for residents requiring specialist care, particularly if the partnership with the state government and Nasara Foundation continues.
For now, the immediate focus is on the patients already identified for treatment and surgery, with the medical team expected to provide the necessary procedures, medication and post-operative support during the outreach.
With about 1,500 patients expected to undergo surgery and thousands more potentially receiving other medical services, the intervention represents one of the latest efforts to bring specialised healthcare closer to vulnerable residents in Kebbi.
For many of the beneficiaries, the significance may be much simpler: a medical procedure that might otherwise have remained financially out of reach is now available without the cost becoming an obstacle.
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