BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN
“The cost for health treatment is too high and beyond my means. It has also its own ups and downs. Thus, even though I am in poor health, I could not go to healthcare center,” said Sefa Bashir, one of the 250 patients who has benefitted from the free medical service provided recently by GIV Society Ethiopia.
“I did not spend a penny. I got the service freely. As there are several elders and vulnerable individuals in the area, such kind of support has incalculable benefits in improving their health condition. The services should be strengthened and continued,” he further said happily.
These days, it is common to see volunteers engaged in various development activities. Particularly, in this annual summer volunteering Program, thousands of volunteers are performing meaningful community development activities. Ranging from refurbishing old and shabby houses of elders to rendering home care services from holding feeding programs for the unfortunate groups of the society to material donation, rendering house-to-house care services, as well as seedling plantations and other community support services, volunteers are benefitting the communities remarkably.
As part of this program, recently GIV Society Ethiopia in collaboration with St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC) and other charity organizations has rendered free medical service for 250 elders and vulnerable groups residing in a place known as ‘Gedam Sefer’ and the surrounding areas.
Speaking on the occasion, Social Affairs Department Head at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC) Michael Megabe on his part said that such kind of voluntary practice has substantial impacts in terms of reaching helpless people, reducing overcrowding at health centers and alleviating the challenges of healthcare costs these people encounter. What is more, it supports prevention works.
Founder and Director General of GIV Society Ethiopia Dr. Misker Kassahun noted that free medical service plays a key role in reaching communities who are unreachable for the service due to various reasons.
“Every citizen is duty bound and socially responsible to contribute own share to the communities. Rendering free medical service is our own societal responsibility and we are honored to do so.”
These days, there are a number of encouraging moves with regard to activities that can be carried out by volunteers and lessen in voluntary works. However, it should be further strengthened as there are numerous works that require volunteers’ participations, Dr. Misker remarked.
The team of GIV Society Ethiopia is mostly comprised of medical doctors and health professionals. The Society has over 100 volunteers ranging from specialist doctors to medical students. It has aim and vision to strengthen volunteerism culture while bringing positive social change in Ethiopia.
So far the team has managed to hold 4 events in the span of 7 months and has given free medical service for more than 600 less privileged segments of the community, it was learnt.
There is a famous Ethiopian proverb that says fifty lemons are a load for one person, but for fifty persons they are perfume. Indeed, a burden shared is a burden lifted. Ethiopians are well known in this regard.
Before the modern world talk about the concept of “Voluntarism” Ethiopians had been supporting each other through the means of “Debo” and “Eder”. The first one is well known in the rural part of the country where individuals join hands in to construct a new house for their neighbors. The second one is kind of self-help institution by which individuals discharge social responsibilities.
We are found in a modern world where modern challenges need modern solution. In this regard, the role played by GIV Society Ethiopia is an encouraging step towards helping the poor and can be taken as a model for others. This is especially true for those individuals or groups who are engaged in medical services.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD AUGUST 3/2021
