Multitudes, in need of medical attention including the aged and children, thronged the flag-off of the Hon. Emeka Nwaobi’s Free medical/ surgical Outreach in conjunction with the Anioma Medical Professionals Forum Incorporated with no fewer than 300 patients being attended at once on Friday, 16/11/2018.
The event which held at the Onicha-Ugbo Primary Health Care Centre, Onicha-Ugbo was declared open by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state, represented by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye who conducted the first test of the flag-off by taking the blood pressure of the Onicha-Ugbo monarch, His Royal Majesty Agbogidi Victor Chukwumalieze who was at the event with his royal Chiefs.
At the event was witnessed by the former DeputyGovernor Of Delta State, Chief Bejamin Elue, Hon. Anthony Elekeokwuri, representing Ika North East in the Delta State House of Assembly, the Chairman, Delta State House of Assembly Service Commission, Chief (Barrister) Mrs. Ada Kachikwu, Pharm (Mrs.) Emy Nwaobi the wife of Hon. Nwaobi, former commissioner for Lands and surveys, Chief Dan Okenyi, Mr. Chuks Nwaebuni , Hon. Chief Jaunty Okwudi and the Vice Chairman of Aniocha North Hon. Toby Ukwmedua who came in with councilors of the Local Government.
Also there was the Chairman of Delta State Primary Health Development Agency, Dr. Mrs. Isioma Okoba represented by Dr. Anthony Okolo, the Director of Medical Services Delta State Ministry of Health, Dr. Ofili, Hon. Ik Uwagwu, Chief Mike Mgbanwa, Engr. Fidel Onwodi, Chief Momah , Mrs. Dorothy Udeh and other notable leaders of Aniocha North Local Government Area.
Speaking at the event, the Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa commended the dogged efforts of the member representing Aniocha North State constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Engr. Emeka Nwaobi in meeting the basic needs of the people, especially for caring for the good health of his constituents.
The Governor called on other well meaning deltans to emulate the good gesture of the Honourable member, even as he called on the people of Aniocha North to continue to support his good intentions while enumerating the laudable efforts of the State Government in the Area of health.
Hon. Nwaobi, the member representing Aniocha North Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly who is the sponsor of the programme said the initiative is a comprehensive health care programme that he conceived to assist the members of his constituency who are going through one health challenge or the other, by way of providing medical solutions to their health challenges, thereby saving lives and promoting good health.
The programme covers almost all areas of the medical challenge including free consultation, free drugs distribution, free eye screening and eye lens distribution, free laboratory tests, free minor surgical procedures such as hernia repairs, appendectomy, free dental examination and surgical health talk on diabetes, hypertension, etc, as well as general counseling and referrals.
“As at this morning, ( Friday, 16/11/2018) we have registered over 500 patients who are already being attended to according to the order of first come first served,” Hon. Nwaobi said, explaining that they were registered with numbers given to each of them on registration that began Sunday, November 10th, 2018 and ended on Thursday, November 15th, 2018. “My assurance is that every single person that has been registered for this free medical/surgical programme will be attended to by the doctors within the three day period earmarked,” Nwaobi said.
According to him, the first part of the segmented programme which began on Friday, 16/11/2018 has the Onicha-Ugbo primary Health Care Centre serving as the venue, with beneficiaries covering Obior, Onicha-Ugbo, Idumuje-Ugboko, Idumuje-Unor, Aniofu and Ugbodu communities converging at the Onicha-Ugbo Health care centre to be attended to by over 40 medical personnel that will be there till Sunday, November 18, 2018.
“The second segment comes up on Friday, 21st through Sunday, 23rd, December, 2018 where beneficiaries from Issele-Uku, Issele-Mkpitime, Issel-Azagba, Ukwu-Nzu, Onicha-Uku and Idumu-Ogo will come over to the General Hospital, Issele-Uku, which has been slated to be the venue for the second segment of the programme,” Nwaobi said, adding: “ In the month of January 2019, between Friday11th and Sunday 13th, we shall be having the final segment at the General Hospital, Onicha-Olona, where beneficiaries from Obomkpa, Ugboba, Ubulubu, Onicha-Olona, Ogodor and Ezi shall be attended to by the Doctors and other medical personnel.”
Nwaobi who was full of eulogies and commendation for Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said he would not relent in his efforts at expanding the frontiers of the governor’s health care policies that is geared towards the vision of the all round prosperity for the people of Delta State and Aniocha North in particular. He also commended the wife of the Governor, Dame Mrs. Edith Okowa, for complementing her husband’s outstanding and saving initiatives in health care delivery with her impressive and humanitarian 05 Initiative. “As beneficiaries of this wonderful health care policies and actions of this government, the people of Aniocha North will continue to be grateful,” Nwaobi said.
Dr. Alex Awunor, founder of the Anioma Medical Professionals Forum Incorporated that are partnering with Hon. Nwaobi on the free medical outreach said the group is a non-profit, non-governmental health organization that exists to render medical help to the helpless who are living in the rural communities.
It is made up of doctors, nurses, consultants, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, etc, all of Anioma origin, including those in the Diaspora. “Every medical outreach that has been held by this prestigious body wouldn’t have been possible without the selfless help of our medical professional volunteers,” Dr. Awunor said.