Niger Delta
Army Provides Free Healthcare Service For 500 People
About 500 residents of Ehor Community in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State have benefitted from the Nigerian Army’s free health care service.
The 4 Brigade Commander, Benin, Brig-Gen. Dalanmi Ndahi, who flagged off the health outreach programme in Ehor, the administrative headquarters of Uhunmwode LGA, said the gesture was to further the existing civil-military relationships between both entities.
Ndahi stated that the army valued the existing cordial relationship it enjoyed with its host communities in Edo State.
He added that the free medical outreach was another way to express its appreciation by bringing free healthcare services to the doorstep of the people.
He said the army was not oblivious of the high cost of assessing health care service in the state, hence the Chief of Army Staff’s approval of the outreach to be part of the brigade’s exercise ‘Still Water 11 2022’ medical programme.
The commandant urged the people and those from the neighbouring communities to take advantage of the free health care service to seek medical examination and treatment.
Earlier, the Enogie of Umopke, His Royal Highness, Chief David Ehigiamusoe, commended the army authority for the gesture, describing the free service delivery as novel.
The royal father said the massive turnout of the people to seek treatment was a testimony to the fact that they had longed for this type of gesture being brought to their doorstep free of charge.
The State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Obehi Akoria, said “today’s event is special to us and the state government because the army is partnering with us to better the health service delivery system in the state.
Represented by Dr Stanley Ehiarimwiam, the Acting Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Akoria described the programme as novel and laudable, coming from the military which statutory duties were to protect the nation’s territorial borders.
“We appreciate this collaboration and encourage more stakeholders to key into such goodwill as government cannot do it alone, especially in the area of health care service delivery,” he said.
Some of the patients told The Tide source that they remained grateful to the army authority for availing them the opportunity of assessing free health care service.
They said the diagnosis, treatment and the dispensed drugs to them, were something they hadn’t contemplated in their widest imagination.
Pa. Osaro Ibude, 75, said “we see this free treatment and drugs from the army as a dream come true for us.
“ We never thought the army can also provide such services to people until today because we have seen it. These are my drugs and others are being diagnosed and treated,” he said while displaying his drugs.
The Brigade had on Wednesday, also gifted three primary and secondary schools in the locality with instructional materials worth several thousands of Naira.
Ndahi, who presented the items to the different schools, said it was part of the Chief of Army Staff’s efforts to promote and sustain the existing cordial civil-military relationships in the communities.
Ndahi said the gesture was the army’s way of saying “thank you” in appreciation to the community for the warm welcome accorded its personnel who had established a camp within the community.
”This is just a token of our appreciation to the community for the space you gave to us when we established a camp for our operation water project two months ago.
”Though our presence has also ensured safety of lives and property in the community and other neighbouring communities, we appreciate the existing cordial civil-military relationships between us.
”These instructional materials are to reciprocate that gesture and our way to give back to the community to promote the academic pursuit of the pupils and students.”
Responding, the Enogie of Ehor community, Osagie Igiehon, thanked the military command for the gesture, saying the people of Ugoneki community were grateful for the water project, now providing the people with source of portable water.
The royal father said it was gratifying to know that in spite of the military statutory role of defending the territorial borders, it still found time to provide social basic amenities to its host communities.
He expressed satisfaction over the military presence within the locality, which he noted had restored confidence and safe haven for the people and travellers plying the Benin-Auchi highway.
The schools that benefited from the gesture included Ugoneki Primary school, Ogbe primary school, Ehor and Ehor Grammar school, all in Uhunmwode LGA.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and an agency of the World Health Organisation(WHO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have launched a three-year public health study, to investigate the health impacts of hydrocarbon pollution in Ogoniland in Rivers State.
Speaking at the kick-off meeting with IARC team at the Project Coordination Office in Port Harcourt, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, noted that the initiative is in line with the key recommendations of the 2011 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland, which highlighted the need for a long-term, focused medical study to track health impacts across the Ogoni population.
He said the study is aimed at conducting a comprehensive health risk assessment linked to hydrocarbon pollution; build capacity for local health professionals; and provide clear recommendations for public health responses based on the findings at the end of the day.
According to him, community involvement is a cornerstone of the project.
“Community leaders, civil society groups, and health institutions must be brought into this process from the onset to ensure trust, ownership, and relevance,” he intoned.
He further indicated that the project would prioritise transparency, continuous stakeholder engagement, and ethical compliance throughout the study.
“HYPREP will provide necessary technical, logistical, and institutional support to facilitate smooth project implementation. The project schedule will be jointly reviewed and finalised, and a steering and technical coordination team will be established to oversee the study.The study is expected to drive policy interventions, public health planning, and long-term monitoring of the Ogoni population’s wellbeing. The outcomes of the project will be credible, actionable, and globally recognised, thanks to IARC’s international expertise and scientific rigor,” he said.
The Project Coordinator said the project is expected to bring healing, hope, and progress to Ogoniland and beyond.
“In addition to the public health study, HYPREP is constructing the Ogoni Specialist Hospital, which will feature state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, including cutting-edge MRI machines. This facility will significantly improve healthcare services in the region,” he said.
Also, IARC leader of the team, Dr. Joachim Schuz, in an interview after the meeting, noted that the study aims to provide concrete evidence of the impact of environmental pollution on the health of the people.
“We do not want to be speculating, we need to show it, we need to prove what is going on beneath,” he emphasised.
He explained that the study would collect blood samples from approximately 4,000 people to measure the levels of hydrocarbon exposure and assess the damage already caused.
He noted that they would also gather information on the living conditions of the people, including their exposure to pollutants and other health risks.
He ,however, urged the people of Ogoniland to participate in the study, which is expected to provide valuable information for public health planning and disease prevention.
Schuz further noted that the study is an investment in the health of the people, stressing that it would provide critical information for developing effective public health programmes.
“Without this study, we do not have the information to do a proper planning for good public health planning for the benefit of the people in the long run,” he said.
A member of the team, Mr Mike Cowing said samples would be taken from areas where groundwater and crops are contaminated with hydrocarbons.
According to information pierced together, the study will include men, women, and children, and will aim to capture the different ways in which hydrocarbon pollution affects various segments of the Ogoni population.
Another member of the medical team, Ann Olsson noted that children can be affected differently from adults due to their smaller body size and higher exposure levels.
She said the team is working to ensure that the study is a representative of the entire Ogoni population, with a focus on finding solutions to sample representatives from the four local government areas.
As part of efforts in ensuring that the people of Ogoni get the right water quality, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has organised a training programme for laboratory technicians working in all its water stations in Ogoniland.
At the training held in Port Harcourt, HYPREP’s Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi, who explained the essence of the training programme said it would ensure that laboratory attendants strictly observe standard protocol for water quality test before reticulation.
He noted that the training would sharpen their skills for better performance in the supply of quality water to the Ogoni people.
“The essence of this training workshop I want to emphasise is for us to be sure that the people who operate the treatment plants in our water facilities know what to do and do the right thing all the time.So, we are taking extra pain to train you on laboratory practices that you will subject the water you give our people to, and our expectation is that you will need to understand this and when you do, make sure we are giving our people quality water.We want to be sure that while you are doing your work, you ensure that the quality of water we give our people meets international standards, meets WHO drinking water standards, and so, we feel that a key component of it is the laboratory management where you will taste the water before and after dosage; and that would guide what you dose and the quality.Make sure that our people get the right quality water to drink and in doing so, ensure that they are healthy because if you drink clean good quality water, you are most likely not to be exposed to water borne diseases, and so, we want you to pay attention,” he said.
The Director of Technical Services reaffirmed HYPREP’s commitment to providing potable water that meets best standards, saying the Project is optimistic that the training would benefit the participants, and urged them to apply the knowledge garnered for the good of Ogoni communities.
On his part, HYPREP’s Head of Potable Water, Mr Lucky Ikue, while echoing the views of the Director of Technical Services, harped on the need for standardisation in the quality of water supply in Ogoniland.
As it were, participants were guided on water sampling techniques, analysis and use of laboratory equipment, affording them the opportunity to upscale their skills in the collection and test of water samples; perform physical, chemical and microbiological tests, and understand the result, to improve technical capacity, develop and maintain practice in laboratory analysis.
The trainees equally explored physiochemical parameters such as chloride, total hardness, alkalinity, nitrate, sulphate and phosphate, microbial hydrocarbon and heavy metal analysis.
HYPREP is gearing up for the next round of its water projects commissioning. This month, four water stations would be commissioned in Uegwere-Boue and Taabaa communities in Khana Local Government Area, Bodo community in Gokana Local Government Area, and Eteo community in Eleme Local Government Area. This is even as the Project continues in actualising its target of providing more potable water to more Ogoni communities by the end of the year.
