More than four hundred (400) residents, natives of Ozuboko Finmie and Abuloma Communities within Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State, benefitted from the Rotary international free medical outreach organized by District 9141, Rotary Family healthcare day project as part of efforts in boosting the healthcare needs within various communities.
ln marking the 2nd phase of the free district 9141 healthcare project the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Orbit in partnership with Rotary club of Port Harcourt City Valley, held a 3-day free medical outreach at the model primary healthcare center in Ozuboko
Speaking at the sideline of the 3 days program, the club president of Rotary club of port Harcourt city valley Captain Paul Ojinka who was represented by the club deputy president, Dr. Chukwuemeka Odoh said the health need are so glaring that as early as six AM in the morning the venue of the programme was filled with hundreds of patients who genuinely needs medical help around the communities and thanked Rotary District 9141 for mitigating that gap created by the biting harsh economic realties in Nigeria at the moment.
Also speaking at the end of the three days event
The president of the Rotary club of port Harcourt Orbit Mrs. Anita Ogona who is also the site coordinator of the Ozuboko center free healthcare program said the although the turn up was over whelming and daunting they successfully managed the crowd without any casualties both to medical personnel Rotarians and participants who thronged the venue.
She commended the State health Co-Ordinator, Rotarian Ozumonu Gudu For promptly responding swiftly to their increased needs for drug and other ancillaries commodities but also visited the site to see things for herself on behalf of the district to achieve a seamless outreach
Addressing newsmen during the outreach, the President of Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Orbit, Mrs. Anita Ogona, explained that the free medical checkups was following the harsh economic situation in the country.
She said, “we brought free medical checkups for the people of the community. We understand that due to the economic situation in Nigeria a lot of people cannot afford to go to hospitals because they are afraid of the bill that will ensue.
“We know that so many people are dying silently and not reported, so we decided to bring it to this community because we know that this place is densely populated. You can see the people here, infact, it’s like a barrack of children.
“We’ve brought the little we can do; the basic medication to give to them free. You know what rotary is all about; we try to mediate on what an ordinary man cannot afford and ensure we bring it to their door step so that is what we have come to do here.”
Anita stated that, “we’ve done all manner of testing, from HIV to eye test and so on. Today is our day three, we started on Tuesday and we are rounding up today. The turnout is overwhelming and the truth is that we cannot meet everybody’s need. Yesterday we had almost 500 persons here. We don’t have a lot of doctors on ground therefore we just told more than 200 of them to go back so that we can attend to at least 300, so today we wouldn’t even attend to everybody because we have exhausted what we came with.”
The President of Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Orbit further called on members of the public, organizations to collaborate with the club to provide healthcare services to the needy in order to avert deaths resulting from curable ailments even as she assured them of accountability.
EastwestReporters reports that the free medical event tagged: “Rotary Family Health Day” held at Ozuboko Primary Healthcare Centre, but witnessed residents of neighboring communities from Finmia and Abuloma coming to seek medical help from Tuesday to Thursday, also witnessed distribution of sanitary pads, drugs as prescribed by the head doctor, Flag Amachree.
In an exclusive interview with newsmen, the Charter President of Rotary Club of Port Harcourt City Valley, Chidinma Selina Diala, outlined other programmes organized by Rotary to reach out to their host communities to include, “mother and child programme, health talk seminar for pregnant women, nursing mothers, distribution of deliver kit, tree planting for the environment, skill acquisition, books donation to school pupils, career guidance and counselling.”
Speaking on behalf of Ozuboko people, the Community Development Committee CDC, Chairman, Mr. Claudius Lord Deinma, while expressing his gratitude said “it’s not easy having voluntary service personalities coming to your community to give services for free.
“The country we find ourselves is where whatever thing you do you want to get something in return but you see people coming voluntarily to give free services to your people from their own personal pocket for that reason I am very much excited. Thank you rotary club that has made this thing possible, thank you rotary international, my people are very much excited.”
Expressing dismay that about 50 residents went home disappointed as they were not examined and treated following shortage of materials and drugs, Deinma appealed to organizations, well-meaning individuals to partner with Rotary so more less privileged, impoverished residents can gain access to medical services.
On her part, the doctor in incharge of the Ozuboko health center Dr. Flag Amachree said “I am so happy, so delighted that Rotary Club remembered us today to carryout this free medical mission in our facility. It will help to reduce the financial burden of the community, because this period is a trial period for everyone so with these free drugs it will really relieve them. Thank you rotary club for everything you have done for us, we appreciate it.”
Some excited children and pregnant women who benefitted from the outreach took turns to appreciate Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Orbit and Rotary Club of Port Harcourt City Valley for the free medicals and urge them to always remember their communities in their various outreach and promised to always provide an enabling environment for the people to benefit from their kind donations
our correspondent also reports that due to their ongoing medical condition over 60 pregnant women and Nursing mothers were given free insecticide treated mosquito nets, while over 200 children had free malaria screening and treatment, deworming among others.