REPORT OF OGBONA ELITES FREE MEDICAL OUTREACH, HELD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN TEACHING HOSPITAL, (MCK ORBIH HEALTH CENTRE), OGBONA FROM 30TH AUGUST TO 1ST SEPTEMBER, 2019.
The decision to have a second medical outreach was taken soon after the adjudged success of the maiden edition, in 2018.
It was agreed at the admin level that the success of the previous one, captured in photographs should be summarized in a brochure form and leveraged as building blocks for sustainable advantage for this year’s edition and subsequent ones. Immediately, the President setup Health Committee, headed by Dr. Paulinus Abu with the following as members. Mrs. Kate Izuagie, Peter Aigba, Catherine Asapokhai, Philip Ogedegbe, Austin Mode, Stella Mode. The committee was mandated to organize a hitch free outreach with the least cost and less publicity. The committee was also told ab initio to do away with partnership with any other body or organization. Though fund was certain to a big factor, it was concluded the drive should be inward pronged. Consequently, the President also setup a fund-raising committee headed by John Anaweokhai. By May this year, the chairman of the Health committee fixed the date and gave the budget for the program and everybody went to work with the scope of the outreach restricted to the following area:
1. Pediatrics medical cases
2. Pediatrics surgical cases
3. Hypertension & Diabetes
4. Dental problems
5. Eye cases (surgical, medical and reading glasses)
6. Malaria, typhoid fever, etc.
7. Gynecological surgeries and medical problems
8. Geriatric problems
9. HIV, HERPATITIS Screening and counselling
10. Ante Natal Care
11. Surgical cases e.g. hernia, lipomas, appendectomy, etc.
By Thursday, 29th August, 2019 almost everyone including the medical personnel were at home for the outreach and a brief meeting was held at the president’s house to fine-tune the program and tie up all the loose ends for a successful free medical outreach.
Below is the list of the medical personnel that manned the outreach:
1. GOPD Consultation had 6 doctors (3 from UBTH Benin City and one from UBTH Ogbona)
2. Nine nurses from UBTH, Benin City
3. One Ophthalmologist and one Ophthalmic nurse
4. Two Dentist
5. Three Optometrists and Ophthalmologists
6. Two Pharmacist
7. One Doctor Chemical Pathologist
8. One laboratory Scientists and two laboratory technicians
9. Six General Surgeons and Gynecologists in the theatre with eleven post basic nurses from UBTH, Benin City
10. Others i.e. UBTH Ogbona staff, ward attendants, Cleaners, and some staff from Ogbona Maternity.
Among the OEF Admins and Board of Trustees in attendance were: The Chairman Board of Trustees, Pst. Mrs. Julie Inu Umoru, Mr. Gilbert E. Odior, Mr. Bernard Ikhane, Mr. John Anaweokhai, Mr. Peter Aigba, Mr. Austin Mode and Mrs. Stella Mode.
The program was declared open on Friday 30th August, 2019 at about 9:50 am with the welcome address delivered by The Okphe Ukpi of Ogbona, His Royal Highness, Chief William Idode with members of his council of chiefs in attendance. True to the desire of the planning committee, the opening ceremony was low-key and very brief with no other activity save for the welcome address by The Okphe Ukpi.
OUTCOME
Below is a summarized list of cases completed during the medical outreach.
1. Various kinds of dental surgeries—-110
2. Eye surgeries—39
3. Eye glasses given out are–506
4. Myomectomy (removal of huge fibroids) —4
5. One Caesarean Section/ delivery—1
6. One vaginal surgery to repair a prolapse urinary bladder through the vagina (Anterior Colporrhaphy) —1
7. Other surgeries done i.e. appendectomy, hernia repairs, lipomas removal and ganglion removals—104
8. Laboratory investigations done are—-215
9. Two pints of screened blood was given to the Caesarean Section patient as she was anaemic even before the surgery was done
10. Pharmacy prescription given are—-1812
INCOME & EXPENDITURE
Although, sourcing funds was a major issue, at the end, we were able to generate over four million Naira, N4,000,000.
Below is graphic presentation of income and expenditure table for the event.
OBSERVATIONS.
One striking fact about this year’s medical outreach is the sense of orderliness that guided the comportments of all the patients that came for the outreach. Though, there were pockets of rowdiness, they were nonetheless controllable.
It was also observed that outsiders who came for the program outnumbered Ogbona people.
Again, there was increase in the number of Ogbona medical personnel involved in this year’s edition, made up of Dr. Paulinus Abu, Dr. Alexander Abu, Dr. Nelson Egwakhe, Dr. Samuel Omolua, Miss Josephine Egwakhe (Nurse) and Mr. Paul Obeakemhe, Medical Scientist.
CHALLENGES.
1. Funds remains the number one challenge of our program. In fact, until the last moment, we were still sourcing for fund.
2. There is also the challenge of how to get Ogbona people to take full advantage of program as outsiders seem to get the upper hands against the people in whose interests the program was designed to meet in the first instance.
3. There was shortage of eye surgeon. In fact, there was no eye surgery until the second day.
4. On the whole, there are logistics problems as regards hosting the medical outreach in the heights of the rainy season as almost all the roads are impassable.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. It is recommended that subsequent medical outreach be held either later in the year or early in the year to avoid the challenges of plying Impassable roads in the height of rainy season.
2. It is also recommended that an advance team should be sent to Ogbona to get the list of people with critical conditions so the first day of the program can be reserved exclusively for them.
3. Every member of Ogbona Elites Forum should be encouraged to contribute towards the outreach.
4. Areas of shortage of medical experts should be identified early so that alternative arrangement can be made to cover up such shortfall.
5. More Ogbona medical personnel should be encouraged to liaise with Dr. Paulinus Abu to contribute their quota to the development of our community in subsequent outreaches too.
APPRECIATION.
A lot of people worked tirelessly to ensure the outreach became a success. Though it will be impossible to mention and appreciate all the numerous people who contributed in several ways to the overall success of the program, we cannot but isolate some certain individuals for the immense contributions.
We wish to thank the Okphe Ukpi of Ogbona, His Royal Highness, Chief William Idode and members of his council of chiefs for the ground work, especially, the mobilization and sensitization of the people about the outreach. They tidied up, fumigated and kept the venue secured for the program. Okphe Ukpi personally went to the Local Government Chairman, Mr. John Osi Akhigbe to approve, support and attend the outreach.
We equally own the Chairman, Etsako Central Local Government some debt of gratitude for providing 15 rooms accommodation for the medical personnel. At a cost of ten thousand Naira per room for four nights, that is six hundred thousand Naira in total, N600,000. Mr. Akhigbe and his deputy, came to see things for themselves. We appreciate both of them greatly.
We wish to thank the Chairperson Board of Trustees OEF, Pst. Mrs. Julie Inu Umoru for the show of support, motherly love and her reach out to several people, Including Chief Abu Inu Umoru and Fate Clinic to raise fund for the outreach. We say a big thank you to her and the step son, Chief Abu Inu Umoru for the unflinching support since the inception of Ogbona Elites Forum.
The President of Ogbona Elites Forum, Mr. Gilbert E Odior must be appreciated for his leadership quality and wealth of experience that are always handy whenever things seem not to head in the right direction. We appreciate EGO for the unparalleled commitment, inspiration and mobilization of men and material resources to achieve preconceived goals and objectives.
Dr. Paulinus Abu, head of the health committee, a genius and unassuming medical expert deserves all the accolades for selfless service to our community. Apart from Ogbona and UBTH, medical personnel, he mobilized every other medical expert to Ogbona for the outreach. May God bless him richly. We thank his wife too, Mrs. Clara Abu for the light refreshments on the last day of the program.
The fund raising and planning committee did excellently well to raise fund for the program. May God bless Vice President Bernard Kasim Ikhane, Secretary General, John Anaweokhai and the Financial Secretary, Peter Aigba for a wonderful job. We also want to specially thank Pastor Emmanuel Oshiokhane Adamu for reaching out to many of his friends and organizations to source fund for the outreach.
The great sons and daughters of the Soil, Dr Alexander Abu, Dr. Samuel Omolua, Dr. Nelson Egwakhe, Mrs. Stella Mode, Miss Josephine Egwakhe and Mr. Paul Obeakemhe answered the clarion call and worked tirelessly for the success of the outreach. We appreciate all of them
Our great in-law, Mr. Austin Mode was once again on ground to help out throughout the outreach. We thank him for the two bold banners. We are proud of him as always. He’s one in kind in-law.
We wish to thank all staff of UBTH, especially, Dr. Darlington Obaseki, The Chief Medical Director of UBTH, for always granting our request to use their facilities at Ogbona. The resident doctors, Dr. Ekundayo and Dr. Egogo and the matron, Mrs. Kate Izuagie at Ogbona, were very supportive. We appreciate them in no small measure. We also want to appreciate all the medical personnel both from UBTH and the Maternity, including student nurses for their immense contribution to the success story. The good Lord will take them to places beyond their imaginations.
We cannot leave out the contributions of Ogbona vigilante and The Civil Defense Corps for providing maximum security throughout the period. We thank them immensely. All our contributors both members and non-members of Ogbona Elites Forum are appreciated too. But for their contributions, it is certain there would have been no free medical outreach. Thank you to Ogbona community for the love, and great support for the outreach.
John Odior Anaweokhai
Secretary
COMRADE AKHIGBE VISITS UBTH AS OGBONA ELITES FORUM FLAG-OFF. FREE MEDICAL TREATMENT.
The Executive Chairman, Etsako Central Local Government, Comrade John Osi Akhigbe Visited University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) as Elites forum Ogbona, flagged off second (2nd) medical outreach in UBTH Ogbona.
Comrade Akhigbe who was overwhelmed by the additional developmental stride and said that it is a great achievement not only to Ogbona but to the entire Local Government Area.
The free medical treatments by several medical experts will treat cases such as Age related Eye Problems, Cataract, Hernia, Minor Gynaecology surgeries, Hypertension, Diabetes, Malaria, Upper Respiratory, Tract infections (URTI), Arthritis, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI), and Denta related Ailments.
The free treatment covers from 30th August to 1st September 2019….
OGBONA MEDICAL OUTREACH2 – WELCOME ADDRESS BY HRH WILLY IDODE
OKPHE-UKPI OF OGBONA SUB-CLAN.
It is with utmost joy and appreciation that I welcome you all to the 2nd free medical healthcare programme here in Ogbona. I particularly wish to commend the sponsors as well as the facilitator of this programme, our son, Gilbert Odior, for being a worthy ambassador of Ogbona, and Avhianwu as a whole.
It is important to note that a large number of our people who otherwise could not afford expensive Medicare, took advantage of the first programme to regain good health. The programme saved so many lives for which we are grateful.
This year, it is also our expectation that our people, resident here and elsewhere, will avail themselves this opportunity to be treated for various ailments. People must not hide their health challenges till their conditions become worse.
I, therefore, appeal to all those who are presently inflicted with one ailment or the other, to willingly come forward to be treated.
I assure the medical team of our support and cooperation towards ensuring a successful stay with us. It is common knowledge that doctors treat but God heals. Therefore, it is our prayer that the almighty God will continue to bless the work of our doctors. As they treat others, we ask God to make available all the grace and mercy they need in their own lives.
I wish us all continued good health. God bless us.
Thank you.
HRH Willy Idode