The Regional Burns Centre at the University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) Choba, Port-Harcourt has successfully ended its week long burns awareness campaign.
Speaking with newsmen, during one of their walk talks in the Diobu area of Port-Harcourt, Head of Department, Plastic Reconstructive Surgery, Dr. (Mrs.) ijeoma Onwuagha, said they deemed it necessary to reach out to the public this time around to lecture on the need for people to be safety conscious especially when using fire, gas cooker, kerosene stoves as well as those who deal on illegal oil bunkering in the creeks.
She said burns have been on the rise as a result of carelessness and we are trying to see how it can be minimized by teaching the public through public address system and distribution of fliers that has all the “don’ts” for them to know what to do and save themselves when it occurs. “As a result of the inflammability of the poorly refined ‘kpo fire’ oil business, it is necessary to properly inform the public on how to use the kerosene or fuel from such illegal business”, she said.
Dr. (Mrs.) Onwuagha also said their mission was to teach the public on how to handle electrical appliances at home. She said the awareness campaign was introduced as a result of the high rate of burns cases that are brought to their hospital on daily basis. “We have been experiencing high rate of calamity in this area and want to see how it can be eradicated. “Prevention they say is better, cheaper and more beautiful than cure”, she declared.
The Burns Awareness Walk team of the UPTH took them to the fruit garden market, Okija Street to Ikwerre road and finally to the Mile One Police Station where the Police Officers Wives and other Stakeholders were assembled for the lecture by the H.O.D. The team according to the Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon had gone to some schools and other public places to proclaim the message since the programme was kicked-off by the Chief Medical Director (CMD) at the hospital on Monday November 23, 2020.
In appreciation, the DPO of Mile One Police Station, CSP Kayode Ajayi gave the team all the encouragements required including armed patrol van and officers to escort them.
