About 900, 000 persons have so far benefitted from the Niger Delta Development Commission’s free health care programme which started fourteen years ago in the region.
Representative of Rivers State on the NDDC Board, Chief Ephraim Etete-Owoh, disclosed this in Andoni local government area, during a free medicare programme organised by the Commission.
Asarama town played host to the NDDC’s medical team for seven days. People thronged in from neigbouring communities.
According to Coordinator of the programme, Prof. Adelayo Ejele, 1479 cases were treated for various ailments, adding that 21 of the patients were operated upon. He said 108 were treated for dental related issues and 365 went through laboratory investigations.
Ejele, who led the health workers from both the NDDC and its partner, Golspin Health Care and Global Hands Medical Foundation, hailed their commitment to duty, saying that out of the 156 screened for HIV/AIDS, two were positive.
He further advised residents of the area to wash their hands regularly, stressing that it could help to curtail spread of diseases and bacteria..
“The common saying is that health is wealth. But for us in this health mission, health is better than wealth. Fortunately, Ebola is not here yet. But we should all be on the alert to keep it away,” he said.
The Managing Director of the Commission, Mr Bassey Dan-Abia, told the people to thank the Federal Government for the free medical health programme.
