IHP gives free medical treatment to Ezzama community

By Charles Nwankwo

About 270 persons have received free medical treatment from Integrated Health Programme (IHP) in Ezzama Autonomous Community in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The USAID Integrated Health Programme in collaboration with Ebonyi State Ministry of Health, Primary Health Care For Development Agency has took the role of extending primary health care to children under five, aged and pregnant women in the hinterlands.

Addressing the people during the event, Dr. Nneka Kene-Ibeagha one of the IPHC Advisors for USAID – IHP stated that the activity was organized to support the SMOH, SPHCDA, LGAs, other stakeholders and various health organizations to commemorate the Health workers week with an outreach with the aim of bringing an integrated package of health services closer to the people.

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Briefing Nigerian Xpress after the programme at Onunwafor Ezzama Community, a health professional and staff of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Adiele Nwelu partnering with USAID IHP to pilot health services to rural dwellers through primary health centers said that a lot of people in rural areas are suffering from one ailments or the other but didn’t see a qualified medical practishioner that will tell them or manage the particular problem.

Mr. Nwelu disclosed that in the course of this medical outreach,  many rural dwellers had been discovered with different  health challenges both young and aged and necessary treatment, required drugs,  counseling and preventive education are given them free of charge while those that they health challenges cannot be handled at the field shall be referred to appropriate hospital.

He said that 90 % of the people attended to in Ezzama community have postrio attraities that disturb the muscle while some are having romathoid attraities attacking the bone, adding that attraities mostly come with age and  could be managed by conservative management of the pain. He urged those suffering from attraities to avoid things that can trigger the pain such as prolong standing, straineous  activities or exercise even though exercise is one of the management strategies, rest is also needed.

Mr. Nwelu also revealed that other disease that was identified common in Ezzama community is infection which can only be handled in the hospital by other members of health team like lab scientists which will take  samples to the laboratory through which  Doctors would know the proper drug that will respond to such micro organism.

Sharing her own experiences in the medical outreach, Nurse Glory Emeron chronicled the packages the programme had for the rural people as the following: family planning, antenatal care, child health that deals with nutrition for under five management and care, out patient department and care, pharmacy etc.

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“we are here for the health outreach programme of USAID Integrated Health Programme that is being implemented in Ebonyi state. we go to villages and provide health services to the rural dwellers. So today we are here at Ezzama to do what we have been doing in other communities in Ebonyi State. We have family planning, antenatal care, child health that deals with nutrition under five management and care, out patient department where we have doctors that do consultations for the elderly and the adoliscients, we have OPD and ANC phamercy that deals with pregnant women and under five children management”

She advised people to think of their health first because health is wealth. noting that government had provided primary health care closer to people all you need to do is to assess the facility not to stay at home and say there is no money while the sickness gets worse.

Nurse Emeron emphasised that the medical outreach has helped in sensitizing a lot of pregnant women and children who are minorished, noting that IHP gives undernourished children micro nutrients and health education. She also advise pregnant women who are health bent in visiting traditional birth attendant instead of going to health facility to refrain from that because when complication arises it gets late to refer and as such a lot of damages would have been done on the woman.

Nurse Emeron pointed out that the programme has done much in sensitizing health care workers in primary healthcare centers to respect and show love to maternal care, because when that is done they will definitely intend to come to  you but when you  fell you are in charge, you have the power you would ending up sending them out to traditional birth attendant.

Meanwhile, the Secretary Ezza South LG Health Authority Mr. Kenneth Nweke described the outreach as a great honour to Ezza South especially to the people of Ezzama Community.

Mr. Nweke said he witnessed large number of people with ages, pregnant women and under five who came to receive free treatment, stating that in the rural setting many people can’t afford to assess healthcare in many health facilities but now the opportunity has came for them to get treated free of charge.

“I really want to appreciate the effort of IHP in their wonderful assistance to improve the health status of Ebonyians in all the thematic areas of health, I urge other partners in Ebonyi to emulate IHP.

I also appreciate the effort the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State Engr. David Nweze Umahi who allowed this pro-life programme to be implemented in State.

“Here in this area of the counttry, children of under 5 mostly suffer malarial and diarrhea, while the aged group suffer joint pain, attriaties and rheamatison which can only be perching  private patent medicine dealers known as chemist which in turn cannot solve their problems, but with this opportunity they are smiling home with free drugs and treatment”

The Officer in-charge of Ezzama Health Center Mrs. Clementina  Ochege expressed happiness for the health outreach programme in Ezzama Community powered by IHP.  Mrs. Ochege expressed optimism that after the programme, there will be a great change in the attidtude of Ezzama people towards visiting health Center to receive treatment.

Mrs Ochege who said that Ezzama Health Center had eight delivery and ten new ANCs last month, pointing out that immunization day is usually a hectic day we work from 8:00am to 3:00pmto ensure that the large number were served. said that the outreach in the community will make a great change in the facility, because it will increase the number of people that seek healthcare in the primary health facility, appealing USAID IHP to donate sanitary pad, rotein drugs to Ezzama Primary Health Center that will be given to patients especially pregnant women during ANC.

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The Special Assistant to the Executive Chairman of Ezza South LGA, and Chairman Ward Development Committee (WDC) of Ezzama Health Center Mr. Michael Okum, Ex-council to HRH Chief Romanus Nweke, Woman Leader Onunwafor Ezzama Mrs. Martha Nwonu and Mr. Lawrence Igwe expressed excitement, saying that the outreach will reveal some hidden and dangerous sicknesses in the body system of some people but medical examination, counseling and treatment served to so many Ezzama people, those sicknesses that are silent killer will be killed instead of killing people.

“God Almighty will bless the hands that contributed to give treat the sicknesses of people they don’t even know free of charge. Our prayer is that God will reward and provide their heart desires”

The stakeholders urged the beneficiaries to use the drugs given to them according to prescription so that it will work effectively.

Nigerian Xpress during the free medical outreach in Ezzama Community, observed that people in the hinterlands are not allergic to visiting health facilities to receive Medicare for any reason but as a result of poverty.