Dr. (Mrs.) Nneoma Chikodi Dike, wife of the Caretaker Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA of Rivers State, has been honoured with an “Excellence In Service to Humanity” award in Port Harcourt.
The award which came from the publishers of Health and Nursing Extra Magazine, an Abuja based publication was said to be devoid of politics, as it came shortly after her six consecutive weeks of free visual screening exercise, organized in conjunction with Obio/Akpor LGA.
The exercise which was designed to also educate the people of the area on some symptoms of eye defects was a huge successful as it carters for about 8,000 persons across all the communities in the LGA.
According to Mr. Nneoma, the last week of the exercise was set aside for non-indigenes that are resident in the area and provided an ample opportunity for people from other neighbouring states of: Bayelsa, Imo, Abia among others.
Speaking shortly after the event, Dr. Dike opined that the programme has gone a long way in helping the people of Obio/Akpor, having known that glaucoma is a bad disease, and their resolve to embark on the counseling approach, knowing fully that a lot of people have one problem or the other, but do not know about it.
She, however described glaucoma as a disease that is caused by intraocular pressure, adding that the highpoint of the program was that those diagnosed to have serious eye problems were referred to hospitals and their bills fully paid by Obio/Akpor LGA.
The optometrist, however charged mothers not to use breast induced treatment on eye problems, but to seek for professional advice and enjoined them to always conduct visual screening test on their children or wards, even at their tender ages in order to correct any suspected defects.
She further thanked the state governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, for the opportunity given to her husband to serve Obio/Akpor people and promised to unfold more of her packages for the people as time progresses.
Dr. Dike further charged the publisher of Health and Nursing Magazine, Mr. Paschal Agbada to use his medium to disseminate her messages on how people could take care of their eyes to Nigerians and the world at large.
She expressed gratitude to Mr. Paschal for remembering her for her little gesture to the people of the LGA. ###
Blaise Elumezie
