The management of BOPANE Host Community Development Trust has said over 5,000 beneficiaries have been targeted to receive free treatment in its community outreach programme across five communities of Eastern Obolo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The chairman board of Trustee of the Trust Mr Sampson Agba, disclosed this while flagging off the free medical outreach at Obolo hall,Eastern Obolo LGA on Thursday.
He said though there would be no surgeries, beneficiaries would receive free medical consultations, diagnoses and treatments while life threatening ailments would be detected early to prevent complications and avoidable loss of lives.
”In this programme,we are looking at over 5,000 people across five communities.This programme is designed to bring quality health care closer to our people, especially those who may not easily access medical services due to distance, cost and other challenges.
”Our people will receive free medical consultations, diagnoses and treatments. Common ailments will be detected early, preventing complications and avoidable loss of lives.”
He said besides the outreach, the Trust would distribute sanitary pads, tooth paste to boost students’ oral health as well as delivery kits for pregnant women.
Agba said the decision to distribute sanitary pads followed engagements with the leaderships of secondary schools which revealed that girls mostly from underprivileged homes come to school without sanitary pads during menstrual periods adding that this affects their learning and the comfort of their teachers.
Agba said, “The major component of this outreach is basically about reaching out to our school children. We have some kind of engagement with our schools, and we are told that some children (girls) don’t have sanitary pads and this affects their learning and the comfort of their teachers
”For oral health of students we are distributing tooth paste and tooth brushes to boost oral health of our children. We are also distributing delivery kids to our pregnant women.”
In his remarks at the occasion, the paramount ruler of Eastern Obolo LGA, His Royal Higness Harry Etetor, commended late President Mohammadu Buhari for introducing allocation of the 3% of oil companies’ revenue to host communities, noting that the development has brought opportunities to local communities.
While thanking BOPANE for the health intervention, the paramount ruler however advised other Trusts to look for other areas of interventions apart from health matters.
”Health is very important, in fact, it is one of the most important any person can think of, becuase without health you cannot do nothing. But, before any other Trust will come preparing to take health matters again, let that Trust meet with the people and find out from them how they did and where they stop. By so doing, we will be moving forward.”
The chairman of Eastern Obolo LGA, Samuel Nteogwuijah, who was represented by the vice chairman of the council, Oke Benson, lauded the initiatives and called on the people to take advantage of the health programme for their overall health.
