By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt – The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) says it will provide a wide range of healthcare services to thousands of men, women and children in its ongoing free medical outreach.
Mr Igo Weli, SPDC’s Director and Head of Corporate Relations, spoke at the launch of a three-day medical outreach on Tuesday for residents of Elelenwo community in Obio/Akpor, Rivers.
He said the SPDC-sponsored free medical outreach tagged ‘Health-in-Motion’ aimed at preventing, detecting and treating various ailments in its host Elelenwo community.
According to him, the programme launched in early 2000s has seen about a million Nigerians benefit in its host communities across the country.
“Hence, the people of Elelenwo community and its environs will receive a wide range of healthcare services with the assistance of on-site doctors and healthcare professionals.
“In the area of general healthcare needs, we have cardiovascular screening services, consultations, and treatment of mild and chronic diseases, dental care, and deworming.
“We are also providing laboratory services, pharmaceutical services, and breast and cervical cancer screening for early detection and access to care, including thermal oblation, mammogram, and pap smear,” he said.
Weli said the health team would also provide comprehensive eye screening, including visual acuity and refraction, ophthalmic consultations, and treatment.
Others are prescription of reading glasses and surgical care for cataract and pterygium surgeries with post-surgical follow-up.
“The Heath-in-Motion is Shell’s flagship health intervention programme that provides free comprehensive medical services to people where they live and work.
“This programme has continued to transform lives, with over 50 communities and 1 million people benefiting from these activities.
“The Vision First Initiative is also a community-focused eye care programme that supports efforts in the elimination and prevention of treatable blindness among people in our host communities,” he added.
The SPDC director said the programme had screened 2,671 visually impaired persons; provided corrective lenses to 1,235 with refractive errors and completed 254 successful ophthalmic surgeries, among others.
Weli gave the assurance the company would continue to provide care for residents in its host communities as well as pursue innovative ways to assist them better.
Dr Adaeze Oreh, Commissioner of Health in Rivers, said the state government was passionate about providing comprehensive, affordable, efficient, and quality healthcare services to residents of the state.
She said the causes of vision impairment and blindness in the country include uncorrected refractive errors and cataracts.
“A considerable number of these cases go untreated due to lack of accessible eye care services and lack of awareness of where to seek services.
“We therefore solicit SPDC’s kind support by extending this Health-in-Motion/Vision First Initiative services to other communities in 22 Local Governments Areas in the state.
“The support is important considering that vision impairment is the most prominent form of disability in Nigeria as eight per cent of women and nine per cent of men have impaired vision,” she said.
The Paramount Ruler of Elelenwo community, Eze Sunny Weli-Chukwu thanked SPDC for providing free healthcare services to residents of the community who could not afford to get treatment at the hospital.
He called on the company to upgrade the primary healthcare centre in the community to a cottage hospital to enable more people to have access to quality healthcare service. (NAN)
