By Ann Onwineng
In a strategic move to uplift the health standards of the community, the Transition Chairman of Ibiono Ibom, Rt. Hon. Nsikan Ukobot has spearheaded a free medical outreach in the Idoro community. This initiative is part of the ARISE agenda by Governor Pst. Umoh Eno aims to bolster rural development by prioritizing health. Recognizing the community’s pivotal role as the food hub, the outreach targeted health empowerment for improved productivity, especially in farming. With partnerships, including Queeneth Initiative and the Akwa Ibom Primary Health Care Center, the event provided a spectrum of services, from cervical cancer screenings to malnutrition treatments. The proactive approach of Rt. Hon. Ukobot underscores a commitment to grassroots well-being, with residents playing a vital role in embracing this healthcare support, signalling a promising shift in community health dynamics.
This aligns with the ARISE agenda initiative of the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency Pst. Umoh Eno, health forms an integral part of the initiative, focusing on bringing development to rural dwellers. Hon. Ukobot described the local government as the driver of this initiative because it is the closest to rural dwellers. He noted that rural communities need access to facilities that guarantee healthy living. Over time, they have lived below the poverty line, believing going to the hospital is expensive, so the government decided to bring these health facilities free of charge to add value to their lives.
In his words, “If you look at the country, you will agree that there is a high level of poverty, a high level of hardship, and people are complaining. To even buy food for a household is a difficult problem, talk less of being able to source for health. We now look at it and see that if you don’t solve the health problem, you can’t solve the hunger problem because the person who is healthy will go to the farm. It is the person who is healthy who will go to the office to work. It is the person who is healthy that will take up all these jobs that have to do with the middle class, so we want to tackle this problem of our people from the roots, get them fit and encourage them to go into farming and other businesses that will add value to the system. This initiative is a step towards a healthier and more prosperous community, instilling hope and optimism in the residents of Ibiono Ibom and stakeholders in rural development and healthcare.”
Regarding the community’s choice as the location for the free medical outreach, Rt. Hon. Ukobot described the location as being very significant because Idoro is the food basket of Ibiono Ibom LGA, revealing that Iben Inyang is a riverine area in the community that experiences an overflow of its river banks during the wet season and then when the water recedes in the dry season, it leaves a vast area suitable for cultivation of staple crops which are harvested hastily before the waters come back again, thereby leading to the surplus food supply in the market that results in a crash in prices of foods and this has been the case over the years.
On follow-ups of referrals of severe health cases that cannot be handled within the outreach, the Transition Chairman said that they would work in partnership with the state for such cases, noting that in recent times, the wife of the Governor, Her Excellency, Pst. Mrs Patience Eno launched an initiative that also makes room for affordable health provision among the less privileged. Thus, the local government will tap into this by partnering with this initiative and other international organisations supporting health care among the less privileged. This collaborative effort ensures that all stakeholders, including the residents of Ibiono Ibom and stakeholders in rural development and healthcare, are part of this healthcare initiative.
The Free Medical Outreach, in partnership with Queeneth Initiative, an NGO, will give free Cervical cancer screening, free eye cheeks and issuing of free reading glasses, free malaria tests, free anti-malaria drugs, family planning, etc., courtesy of the Transition Chairman.
The Akwa Ibom Primary Health Care Center was also present to attend to cases of vaccination among children and pregnant women, free blood pressure checks, blood sugar tests, and treatments for various sicknesses among children and incredibly malnourished babies.
In an interview, Mrs. Esther Udo, the Director of Health, described the Chairman as a caring Chairman who prioritizes the health sector in His administration and has supported health services in Ibiono Ibom. She said that the free medical outreach is also targeted at giving health talks to enlighten the people on various health issues and treatments available. They also immunized pregnant women against tetanus in pregnancy and children against killer diseases in children.
Pst. M. A. Udo, a beneficiary of the eye check, was delighted to be part of the exercise and appreciated God for giving the Chairman the heart and initiative to reach out to the community this way. He appreciated the glasses given to him and said that they had greatly improved his sight.
