By Laraba MUREY
Residents of Gbelegbu community in Edo State have hailed the comprehensive medical outreach organized to mark the one-year memorial of the late Aaron Ponuwei Ebelo.
The event, held under the banner of the Aaron Ponuwei Ebelo Foundation, was spearheaded by his son, Goodluck Ebelo, as a continuation of his father’s lifelong passion for improving lives in his community.
Villagers received medical consultations, screenings, health education, counseling, and follow-up referrals.
Over 45 individuals were provided with reading and sight correction glasses, with many more receiving prescription medications following diagnosis and treatment sessions.
Speaking on the outreach, main driver of the event, Mr. Goodluck Ebelo, said it was a practical demonstration of the Foundation’s mission to drive healthcare equity and expand access to basic services in underserved areas.
“This event like some others in the past is aimed at not only honoring the memory of the patriarch of our family, Pa Aaron Ponuwei Ebelo, but also to cement his legacy as a man who believed in lifting his community through service and compassion.
“For us, our father’s values live on through the Foundation’s work — and through the lives touched in Gbelegbu. Because as the saying goes — the community never forgets,” Ebelo said.
The leade medical volunteer, Dr. Ugonna Nwigwe, said the initiative speaks directly to Nigeria’s larger health challenge, stressing that “over 70% of rural populations remain without regular access to essential health services.
“Programs like this play a crucial role in advancing the goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by targeting hard-to-reach areas that are often overlooked in national strategies.”
According to her, there is the need for the establishment of a community-based health insurance scheme that would give residents affordable, ongoing access to health services.
This move is expected to build a more resilient community health system beyond the outreach’s timeline.
Besides Nwigwe, the outreach was boosted by a team of young, committed medical volunteers whose professionalism, empathy, and energy underscored the power of youth-led impact.
Some of the beneficiaries commended the initiative and said they expected no less as during his lifetime, Pa Aaron Ebelo was a beacon of service and philanthropy.
