In commemoration of the 2022 Health Workers Week, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – Integrated Health Program (IHP) with other health-based-intervention partners has offered free medical outreach to the Enyibirichi Alike community in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
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The USAID – IHP carried out a health outreach in collaboration with the Health Workforce Management Activity (HWM), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMURT) and Ebonyi State Ministry of Health.
The free health outreach which was held at the Community Primary School, Obiegu Enyibirichi Alike Ikwo recorded over 300 people comprising men, women and children in attendance.
Speaking during the event, Dr Nneka Kene-Ibeagha one of the Integrated Primary Health Care IPHC Advisors for USAID – IHP stated that the activity was organized to support the State Ministry of Health SMOH, State Primary Health Care Development Agency SPHCDA, Local Government Areas, other stakeholders and various health organizations to commemorate the Health workers week with an outreach to bring an integrated package of health services closer to the people.
She expressed satisfaction with the turnout of the community people during the health outreach, saying that both women and men including the children came out in mass to receive the free medical care and treatment in the area.
She noted that the community members who were in attendance had communicable and non-communicable diseases notably hypertension, upper respiratory tract infections, peptic ulcer disease to mention but a few
Dr Ibeagha recommended that all those who attended the medical outreach should continue to follow up treatment in the nearby facilities, saying the health workers are always available and the facilities remain open 24 hours.
On her part, the State Coordinator of the USAID funded Health Workforce Management Activity, Pharmacist Uche Ebenezar, also noted that the programme was packaged to strengthen the Nigerian health system through a cost-effective well-trained and motivated health workforce.
She commended the state ministry of health and other partners with the USAID that funded the free medical care and treatment.
She noted that the free health outreach included treatment of childhood illness, child spacing counselling and methods, enrollment into BHCPF/SHIS, malaria testing and treatment for pregnant women and children, screening for hypertension and diabetes, childhood immunisation, antenatal and postnatal care services, nutrition services for mothers and children, gender-based volume services, HIV counselling and testing, among others.
Recall that the Ebonyi 2022 Health Workers Week Celebration Planning Committee were comprised of the representatives of all the Medical and Health Professionals in the state under the watch of Comrade Bornbless Obasi as coordinator.
Comrade Obasi who represented the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Daniel Umezurike appreciated the community leaders for mobilising their people to benefit from the medical outreach.
He assured of a continuous intervention by the state government in providing the community people with more free health care and treatment, especially for women and children in the area.
The event was honoured by the community stakeholders including the Senior Special Assistant to the Ebonyi State Governor on Legal Services and Conflict Resolution, Barrister Emeka Nwode, the Pioneer Chairman of Ikwo Local Government Area, Chief Vitalis Nwode, among other people who described the medical outreach as a welcome development.
The duo with some of the beneficiaries, Mr Anthony Nworie, Mrs Esther Okenyi, and many others lamented the high prevalence of malaria, infection and diarrhoea in the community especially in the rainy season, attributing the causes to the inadequacy of potable water sources.
