A Community Pharmacist, Chidinma Okafor says there is an alarming widespread of infectious diseases like Hypertension, Diabetes and loss of eye sights in Opobo town because of lack of access to proper medical care.
Okafor, who is the Medical Team Leader at a medical outreach organized by the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Rebisi Kingdom at the King Jaja of Opobo Square, also said there is a frightening rate of Upper Respiratory Infection among children in that community as a result of consumption of bad water or exposure to cold.
She called on the state government to carry out more sensitization programmes for the people about their health and make Medicare accessible to them to avert the threatening health epidemic in the area.
“ it’s disturbing to note that people here in this Opobo communities, in their 40s are already hypertensive and diabetic. More disturbing is that there is already a threatening number of the elderly that may die of this epidemic and some may lose their sights, if proper medical care is not given to them. Majority of the children here, we noticed are suffering from Upper respiratory Tract infection, that’s chronic cough, we were able to dispense some drugs to them, but they need proper medical care and hygiene. The people here lack access to basic medical care, the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Rebisi Kingdom has done very well with this free medical outreach, it really impacted on the people here”, she said.
On his part, President of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Rebisi Kingdom, Warisenibo Sofiri-Gladstone said the club will continue to assist the government by carrying out projects that will improve the health and livelihood of the people in Opobo Kingdom.
Warisenibo Sofiri-Gladstone said the free medical outreach is centered around the Rotary International area of focus of Disease Prevention/Treatment and Mother and Child Health.
He said “ over 500 reading glasses and drugs worth millions of naira have been dispensed free of charge to people in need in Opobo town during the free medical outreach the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Rebisi Kingdom annual project. This is also our way of supporting the government in impacting the wellbeing of the people in the rural area. We thank our sponsors for making this a reality: Emma Wike and Partners, Senibo Siminalaye Fubara, Batubo Amemini. Rotary will continue to bridge the gap on health in the rural areas”.
The Chairman of Opobo, Nkoro Local government area, Enyiada Cookey-Gam, who spoke through the council Secretary, Edward Namiesimagha during a courtesy visit by members of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Rebisi Kingdom, said the council has put measures in place to address issues of Security, Sanitation and provision of portable drinking water for the people in the area.
Our correspondent Precious Ahiakwo-Ovie reports that members of the club embarked on a sanitation exercise in the market, and donation of sanitation tools the market as part of activities to fulfill the Rotary International area of focus of sanitation, and hygiene. Our correspondent also reports that the projects were carried in collaboration with some Rotaract Clubs in Port Harcourt.
