The Global Medical Ambassadors, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) have reassured rape victims in Rivers State of the commitment to provide round-the-clock free medical treatment, care and psycho-social counselling and support to enable them reintegrate seamlessly into the society.
They said that this reassurance had become necessary to create the awareness for victims of rape to overcome stigmatisation and the trauma by coming out of their withdrawal and report the unfortunate incident to specialists at designated healthcare facilities in the state for immediate attention.
The doctors stated this during a courtesy visit to the General Manager, Rivers State Newspaper Corporation (RSNC), publishers of The Tide Newspapers Mr Vincent Ake in his office in Port Harcourt.
Leader of the DWB delegation and Project Coordinator, Romain Briey stressed the importance of public awareness of the availability of specialist doctors, designated health centres for treatment and counseling, range of services offered and emergency phone numbers to call for help, assuring that all medical tests, treatment, care and support, including counseling are not only free but also conducted with utmost confidentiality.
Briey explained that the two existing clinics open for rape victims in Port Harcourt had been attending to patients over the last two years, with the capacity to handle as many cases as possible, but regretted that the turnout of rape victims had been discouraging despite its occurrence everyday in the society.
He emphasised that the key challenge facing the centres was the low turnout of patients in spite of the high prevalence of rape cases in the society, adding that the team has been trying to promote the activities of the clinics to enable victims know that they could receive free comprehensive medical services and psycho-social counseling to enhance inclusiveness in the state.
The project coordinator noted the clear tendency for rape victims to contract diseases such as sexually transmitted infections, including human immune virus (HIV), gonorrhea, Hepatitis B, among others, if incident is kept secret for fear of stigmatisation.
Briey listed the first four basic steps rape victims must take to include, seeking care within the first three days, getting treatment to prevent contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), getting treatment for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as well as counseling, and appealed to rape victims and anyone with knowledge of rape incidents to call: 0903 355 5455 or 0705 889 0060, assuring that every case would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
The Outreach Manager, Caroline Walker noted that Orogbum Health Centre, Ogbunabali, by Garrison Bus Stop, Port Harcourt, which provides 24hours services; and Model Primary Health Centre, Eliozu, Eliozu Town, off Eliozu Flyover, Port Harcourt open from 7am -7pm, were designated centres for the treatment of rape victims, and assured that “if a rape victim comes within the first 72 hours after being raped, medication can be given to stop these infections multiplying and spreading around their body.
“We would like members of the society, especially victims of rape, who have experienced the quality care and services we offer to tell the people about the clinics and our presence here in Port Harcourt, to make them just as popular as Teme Clinic when it was still functioning,” she explained.
In his response, the GM, RSNC, Mr Vincent Ake attributed the poor turnout of rape victims to the two clinics to fear of stigmatization for obvious social and cultural reasons, adding that many people were yet to understand the negative consequences of not reporting rape cases to the appropriate authorities for medical attention.
Ake promised the readiness of The Tide Newspaper to play the necessary role in creating needed awareness on the availability of the treatment and care centres and the free services they provide to rape victims in the state, and urged other relevant organizations and stakeholders to join hands with Doctors Without Borders and the two health facilities to address the challenged identified by the team.
Earlier, one of the doctors working with the team, Dr Chuku Adanda said, “If someone has been raped, it is important they get medical care as soon as possible”, explaining that, “If a rape victim comes within the first 72hours after being raped, we can give her medication to stop the infections multiplying and spreading around their body”.
Also speaking, a psychologist with the DWB, Maranatha Nnamani, said “We want people to know and come as soon as possible to the clinic for medical care but also for counseling. Whenever someone has been raped, even if it was a long time ago, they can still come to the clinic to talk to a counselor”.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana