No fewer than 800 people of Ozuoba Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area have benefitted from a Free Medical Outreach provided by the Hon. Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim on Saturday.
National Network gathered that although information about the event ostensibly came at a short notice to most members of the community, the elated indigenes and non-indigenes alike, nonetheless, trooped to the Ozuoba Town Hall venue of the program as early as 8 o’clock in the morning.
The event was preceded by a health talk delivered by Dr. Vetty Agala and Dr. Omasirichi, both of whom stressed on the importance of basic medical care while commending the people for taking advantage of the charity work of Paulinus Nsirim, to improve their wellbeing.
Dr. Agala, the immediate past President of Medical Women Association, Rivers State branch, said the vital signs of the patients would be evaluated as well as determining their weight, height, temperature and blood pressure, before the full-blown medical examinations.
Among the early respondents was a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Michael O. Chinda; a political leader in Obio/Akpor Constituency 2, Elder Lawrence Amadi, JP; Nyenweli Ozuoba, Chief Amadi Wali and the wife of the Honourable Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Mrs. Woyengikoro Nsirim as well as the Chairman of Ozuoba Community Development Committee (CDC), Comrade Fidelis Wachukwu.
Pastor Paulinus Nsirim who spoke to journalists on the event, said it was a way of giving back to society, regretting that most people do not know their health status, apparently due to ignorance or lack of money to get medical treatment.
“We live in a society where a lot of people do not have the wherewithal for their healthcare needs. I have discovered over the years that a lot of people have things like high blood pressure and hypertension, but they do not know.
“And so, you hear people die suddenly and that’s why we decided to come up with this free medical outreach, to give back to society”, he said.
Pastor Nsirim said it would be unreasonable for one to occupy government position and not give back to society, adding that such philanthropy would go a long way to put smiles on the faces of people.
He assured the beneficiaries who are members of Obio/Akpor Ward 16, that God willing, the exercise would be carried out again in the near future.
“The turnout I saw here today clearly showed that people need health attention, and I want to use this opportunity to thank His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike who appointed me Commissioner and showing us the path of service”, he said.
Pastor Nsirim said Governor Wike had consistently, in his developmental agenda showed his lieutenants that the reason for holding public office is to serve the society. In his words, “This is just to emulate my principal, emulate his principles and his kind of vision. What you are seeing here today, is emulating the vision of Governor Wike in bringing healthcare delivery closer to the people of Rivers State”.
The commissioner who did not disclose the amount expended on the outreach, said todays event was not the first of such actions, adding that he has been carrying out philanthropic activities right from his days as Director in the Ministry.
Pastor Nsirim disclosed that the free Medicare was to cap up his philanthropic activities in the four communities that made up Ward 16, having donated rice and condiments to Ogbogoro and the other two communities, to celebrate the Christmas.
Speaking earlier in his welcome address, Chairman of the occasion and member of the House of Assembly, Hon. Michael O. Chinda commended the sponsor whom he described as a proud son of Ozuoba.
“We must thank our son because he did this out of his own volition. We know that government had not given him money to do this. We believe that by this singular gesture, some of the diseases that are affecting us will be destroyed and we shall enjoy healthy living”, he said.
Similarly, the political leader of Obio/Akpor Constituency 2, Elder Lawrence Amadi described Pastor Nsirim’s action as a rare sense of philanthropy, saying that one thing is to have money but another thing to use it to improve the society.
The CDC Chairman of Ozuoba Community, Comrade fidelis Wachukwu who expressed happiness at the large turnout to the event, said that was so because it had no political or religious coloration.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Christy Amadioha described Pastor Nsirim as a man with the heart of gold, saying the outreach was a huge success as many of the women had to undergo free test of breast for early detection of related sicknesses.
A former Woman Leader of the Ward, Mrs. Amadi prayed for God’s blessing upon the commissioner while calling on other well-to-do members of Ozuoba community to emulate the gesture.
The free Medicare event also featured eye tests and provision of eye glasses and dispensary of assorted drugs to patients. Journalists and security personnel who attended the event also undertook health checks with drugs and eye glasses dispensed to them.
