The Save Gashua Foundation has commenced a two-day free medical outreach targeting about 700 residents of Bade Local Government Area in Yobe State, offering kidney function tests, blood sugar screening, blood pressure checks and medical consultations.
The 2026 Save Gashua Healthcare Outreach began on Monday in Gashua, the headquarters of Bade LGA, to improve access to basic healthcare for residents who cannot afford medical services.
The foundation’s Executive Director, Hamza Tasi’u, said the programme was designed to support vulnerable residents facing financial barriers to healthcare.
He expressed satisfaction with the turnout, noting that the number of residents seeking medical attention had exceeded the organisers’ expectations.
Tasi’u said the exercise was particularly important because of longstanding concerns about kidney disease in Gashua, Bade and neighbouring communities.
According to him, the screening services would help residents understand their health status and take appropriate steps where medical concerns were identified.
A nursing officer attending to residents during the outreach, Yusuf Nadabo, said the initiative was intended to provide basic medical services without placing additional financial pressure on beneficiaries.
Kidney disease concerns
Bade LGA has faced persistent concerns over kidney disease, with patients requiring dialysis often travelling to Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, for specialised treatment.
Although the Yobe State Government provides free dialysis through the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital in Damaturu, residents have complained that transportation and other related expenses remain a burden.
Some residents have consequently called on the state government to establish a dialysis centre in Gashua to reduce the cost and difficulty of travelling for regular treatment.
In September, the teaching hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Professor Baba Waru Goni, said the state spent approximately N360m annually on its free dialysis programme, which provided between 600 and 700 sessions monthly at the time.
Goni also disclosed that plans were at an advanced stage to establish another dialysis centre at the Specialists’ Hospital in Gashua. The proposed facility was included in the state’s 2026 budget, according to the hospital chief.
The centre is expected to bring specialised treatment closer to patients, although its operational status has not been confirmed in the available reports.
Importance of early screening
The Save Gashua Foundation’s outreach provides residents with an opportunity to undergo basic screening and receive medical consultations without paying for the services covered by the programme.
Kidney function tests can help identify signs of impaired kidney function, while blood pressure and blood sugar checks can help detect conditions associated with kidney damage.
However, screening results alone do not necessarily confirm chronic kidney disease. Residents with abnormal results may require further laboratory tests, clinical assessment and follow-up care.
The initiative comes after a separate healthcare outreach conducted in Gashua in August by the Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, which provided medical consultations, medicines and health education to more than 1,500 vulnerable residents.
Despite these interventions, residents continue to call for sustained access to healthcare and specialised kidney treatment within Bade LGA.
They say a dialysis centre in Gashua would reduce the financial and logistical challenges faced by patients who require repeated treatment sessions in Damaturu.
The foundation is targeting about 700 beneficiaries during its two-day exercise. The final number of residents screened and any follow-up arrangements for those requiring further medical attention were not stated.
