24 year old Itoro Ime who came with her baby to the Rotary Family Health Days outreach held at Model Primary Health Centre Oginigba, in Trans-Amadi Port Harcourt is among 200 persons that had free health checks and treatment at the health facility.
“When I heard of the free medicals, I rushed down because I’ve been sick but didn’t have money to come but through this programme, they gave me malaria drugs so I’m very happy.”
She appreciated Rotarians for the free health service as she has been sick but could not come to the hospital due to lack of money.
“May God bless you all,” She says as she received a free treated mosquito net for her 10 month old baby.
Rotary Family Health Days is a free health outreach by Rotary and her partners to provide basic health services free of charge to indigent communities in line with their efforts at diseases prevention and treatment.
Site Cordinator for the 15 Rotary Clubs and two Rotaract Clubs who organised the outreach at the Model Primary Health Centre Oginigba, Rotarian Shittu Alhaji Abdulrasheed says Rotary has provided some drugs, lab reagents and medical personnel volunteers to offer free treatment to the people of Oginigba community.
Rtn. Shittu Abdulrasheed who is also the President Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Express said the three-day outreach which started on World Polio Day Tuesday 24th October also celebrated Rotary’s efforts at eradicating Polio in the world.
“As part of our service to humanity we carry our medical outreach to our host communities about twice a year. The aim is to reach out to the less privileged in the community and attend to their health needs free of charge.”
Rtn Oghenero Emu, President Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Metropolitan noted that the outreach targets those at the rural areas who do not have easy access to medical services so they can benefit.
Rtn. Taiwo Olayeni, President Rotary Club of Rumuomasi added that the outreach would help reduce Maternal and Child mortality as treated mosquito nets are given to nursing mothers and children were given deworming medicines among others to protect them.
Medical officer in charge of Model Primary Health Centre Oginigba, Dr. Cecilia Leloonu Nwibubasa lauded the efforts of Rotarians in providing the free health outreach as it would encourage members of the community access health care.
She observed that due to the present harsh economic climate, many do not seek health services for fear of the costs and encouraged Rotary to continue the health outreach more regularly.
“Health is wealth and this programme I believe would help everyone of us both us at the facility and those in the community because if you leave them to themselves, they would not come to hospital with their health complaints but when they hear that there is a free medical outreach, you would see everybody turning out for it because they are getting the service free of charge.”
Health services provided include Polio immunization, malaria screening and treatment, HIV testing and counselling, diabetes, glucose level and hypertension screening, prostrate cancer screening for men, vitamins A administration and deforming of children.
Other services provided include family planning counselling and distribution of condoms, distribution of sanitary pads for girls as well as distribution of treated mosquito nets and free eye tests.
Mrs Roseline Osaruchi Amadi another beneficiary says they have been looking for such an opportunity and was happy that Rotary remembered the people of Oginigba. She was given malaria medications and drugs for high blood pressure.
For Rtn. Karina Igonikon, President Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Garden City, the excitement and response of the community was encouraging as they patiently waited to be attended to despite the heavy rains.
Rotary Clubs that volunteered at the Model Primary Health Centre Oginigba include Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Express, Rotary Club of PH Downtown, Rotary Club of PH Garden City, Rotary Club of PH Mid-Town, Rotary Club of PH Central, RC PH Phoenix and Rotary Club of PH South.
Others are Rotary Club of PH Mother And Child, Rotary Club of Rumuibekwe, Rotary Club of PH Metropolitan, Rotary Club of Esara City and Rotary Club of Rumuomasi.
Also with them were Rotary Club of Trans Amadi, Rotary Club of Oyigbo, Rotary Club of PH Skyfield as well as the Rotaract Club of Port Harcourt Silver Valley and Rotaract Club of Port Harcourt Township.
The three day Rotary Family Health Days was done in partnership with Federal and State Ministries of Health, Hepatitis Zero World Eradication Project, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rotary Action Group for Family Health and AIDS Prevention in collaboration with Rotary Clubs and Districts in Nigeria.
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