Speaker Odunwa Reaffirms Commitment To Providing Free Healthcare Services To Constituents

By Celestine Okeh

The Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Chief Moses Ije Odunwa has reaffirmed his total commitment to addressing the healthcare needs of his constituents especially, the rural and vulnerable populace.

Chief Odunwa made this known at Odeligbo Health Centre Amainyima Okpoitumo, in Ikwo Local Government Area of the State, during his sponsored free medical outreach in  across the ten political Wards of Ikwo South State Constituency, in collaboration with Ebonyi State Ministry of Health and BERWO Foundation, in the community.

Speaker Odunwa, who was represented by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Engagement, Hon. Paulinus Nwanchor, highlighted the importance of good health, and commended the State Governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru, for prioritizing the healthcare needs of Ebonyi through strategic intervention and investment in health sector.

He emphasized that the programme was a way of complimenting the efforts of the State Governor and the Wife Mrs Uzoamaka Nwifuru in ensuring that their investment and intervention in healthcare trickle down to rural dwellers.

The Special Assistant to the Governor noted further that the free medical outreach of the speaker was part of his campaign promises he made to  the people during campaign period.

"As a result of the health conditions of our people, that's why he saw the need to bring this health intervention programme to the people at the grassroots, so that people who are yearning for good health will benefit from it. He is doing it to compliment the efforts of the State Governor in health sector, to ensure that the rural dwellers enjoy sound health. It will also go a long way in alleviating the sufferings of the poor masses. So, he knows that this is exactly what the people want at the rural level."

The Assistant State Immunization Officer, and Desk Officer, Baby Shower Initiative, Mrs Aloh Ngozi, said that they recorded large number of people with high blood pressure, and emphasized the needs to carry out more sensitization to people at the grassroots, to enable them know the cause and solution so as to enjoy good health. She appealed to other political office holders in the state to emulate the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Chief Moses Odunwa, by sponsoring health outreach in their Communities.

Earlier, Former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ikwo Local Government Area, and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Hon. Sunday Ifere, commended Speaker Odunwa for bringing the Free Medical Outreach to the community, adding that the people will benefit from the initiative, and expressed their commitment to always support the aspiration of the Speaker.

Some of the beneficiaries, including Mrs Nwigboji Itumo, Mr Michael Ogodo, Mr Chibuzor Ogbuagu, and Mrs Chidera Jacob, thanked the Speaker for the kind gesture, especially for alleviating financial burden on them, and prayed for God's unending grace upon him.

The event which  witnessed the presence of great numbers of children, pregnant women, men, and women from the Community, featured health promotion, disease prevention and treatment, measles - rubella/HPV uptake sensitization  and distribution of baby pack to pregnant and nursing mothers among others.

Recall that the Speaker's  Free medical outreach has so far covered eight out of the ten political Wards in Ikwo South constituency with bountiful testimonies from the beneficiaries, mostly pregnant women, nursing mothers aged men and women among others.