DELSU VC Lauds Delta NMA On Annual Medical Outreaches

By Patrick Ijeh

The Vice Chancellor of Delta State University, Abraka, Prof Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga, has commended the Delta State Branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) for its annual medical outreaches aimed at taking quality health-care to the grassroots in the interest of the masses.

Prof Egwunyenga made this commendation on Wednesday during the 2024 One-Day Stella Adadevoh Memorial Medical Outreach at Atuma-Iga in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State.

The university helmsman said he was very excited about the medical outreach because it served as a constant reminder of the selfless sacrifice of Dr Stella Adadevoh, who restrained Patrick

Sawyer, who was on a visit to Nigeria from Liberia, from spreading the dreaded Ebola virus in Nigeria in 2014 at the cost of her life. He also said he was particularly pleased that NMA chose his home town, Atuma-Iga, as venue for the 2024 edition, noting that the large crowd of patients from the town and neighbouring communities attest to the high positive impact of the medical outreach.

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He appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to support the NMA to sustain the laudable initiative.

Speaking at the occasion, the NMA Delta State Branch Chairman, Dr Carter Okolakpa who was represented by Prof Anthony Ojieh, thanked Prof Egwunyenga for collaborating with the association to organise the 2024 edition of the medical outreach.

Prof Ojieh pointed out that the NMA decided to make Stella Adadevoh Memorial Medical Outreach a part of its Annual General Meeting to honour her for sacrificing her life to curtail the spread of the Ebola virus when it was brought to Nigeria by Liberian-American, Patrick Oliver Sawyer in July 2014. Prof Ojieh revealed that the medical outreach featured sixty medical doctors, six nurses, two medical laboratory technicians, six dental therapists and attracted over five hundred patients who received free medical examinations and treatments, scaling and polishing of teeth, filling of dentures, teeth extractions, eye checks, reading glasses and drugs costing over N4 million.

In his reaction during a courtesy call by the organisers on him in his palace, the traditional ruler of Atuma-Iga, HRH Obi Chukwuka Daniel Ogbudo, thanked the NMA and Prof Egwunyenga for organising the medical outreach in his community.

He urged them to sustain the programme because of the positive impact on the masses and prayed for God to bless them and replenish their purse so that they can do more for the commoners. He called on other philanthropists to emulate Prof Egwunyenga and NMA in promoting free quality health-care delivery at the grassroots.