About 5000 people in Oloibiri area of Bayelsa State have benefitted from a health outreach organised by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) Joint Venture, in furtherance of its Health-in-Motion campaign.
Bamidele Odugbesan, spokesperson of SPDC, said the company, while working closely with the Bayelsa State Government, Ogbia Local Government Council and other partners, took the comprehensive health outreach to 18 communities, giving the beneficiaries dental and eye care/surgery, screening for blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and malaria, HIV/AIDS counseling and testing, immunisation, pharmaceutical and laboratory services, as well as treatment for chronic and minor ailments.
“SPDC also used the outreaches to create awareness on the Oloibiri Health Programme, a Shell-sponsored three-year initiative that is expected to promote universal health coverage, strengthen existing health systems, establish learning and operations research and enhance the social determinants of health in Oloibiri field communities”, Odugbesan said.
Dr. Ayibatonye Owei, commissioner for health, Bayelsa State, who flagged off the outreach at Ogbia town, de-wormed children and presented long lasting insecticide treated nets to pregnant women;
“This health programme Shell is implementing in Ogbia Local Government Areas is most commendable, as no other oil company has done such a thing in Bayelsa State, despite many years of oil extraction”, Owei said.
At Kolo Creek communities, the traditional ruler, Agholo of Agholo, HRH N.D. Amakuro, expressed joy at the diverse health professionals providing quality service to the people and said he was happy at the implementation of the Oloibiri Health Programme, adding that the Kolo General Hospital was earmarked to serve as the secondary facility/referral centre for the programme.
Mrs. Oremediepre, a once active woman leader in the community who was diagnosed with severe myopia (short sightedness) for several years, received spectacles to correct her condition. “Today, I can see well”, she said. “I am grateful and will always remember Shell for this”.
Dr. Akinwumi Fajola, the SPDC’s regional community health manager, said, “the welcome in Oloibiri has been very warm. I’ve been involved in the Health-In-Motion programme since it began in 2009, and the gratitude and smiles of beneficiaries is enough reward for all the planning and hard work. SPDC has demonstrated tremendous care for the health of the people through the programme.”
The SPDC JV has supported community health projects in the Niger Delta since the 1980s, with equipment and pharmaceutical donations, as well as construction of hospitals and implementation of malaria and HIV/AIDs control programmes.

Very nice development

while working closely with the Bayelsa State Government, Ogbia Local Government Council and other partners,

out of other LGs, must ogbia always be highlighted whenever bayelsa state is mentioned? Haba!






This Jonathan sef...