•Oil spillage in Niger Delta
The Delta State government has deployed a multidisciplinary medical team to Odidi Federated Communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area to provide emergency free healthcare services to residents affected by the recent oil spill along the Trans-Forcados Pipeline.
The intervention carried out was aimed at addressing the immediate medical needs of affected residents and helping to restore the health and well-being of the communities.
The medical outreach, undertaken on the directive of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, included free surgical operations, eye examinations, dental care, laboratory investigations and outpatient medical services.
The exercise was led by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, even as the deployment of the medical team is to provide immediate relief to residents requiring medical attention, as well as address potential health concerns associated with the pollution.
Speaking during the outreach, Onojaeme commended the people of Odidi Federated Communities for maintaining peace and conducting themselves responsibly since the incident occurred.
He described the medical intervention as particularly important at a critical period when affected residents needed urgent healthcare support and reassurance from the government.
According to him, the outreach was designed to bring essential medical services directly to the doorsteps of the affected people and ensure that the oil spill did not compound their difficulties through untreated illnesses or limited access to healthcare.
The commissioner urged residents to take full advantage of the exercise by presenting themselves for medical examinations and treatment.
He emphasised that all drugs, mosquito nets and treatments provided under the intervention were completely free, urging the people not to allow financial constraints to prevent them from accessing the services.
Onojaeme reiterated the state government’s determination to ensure that residents of oil-producing communities and other parts of Delta State had access to quality and affordable healthcare, particularly during emergencies.
He noted that the state government had continued to prioritise the health sector through the construction and renovation of primary healthcare facilities across the state.
Speaking on behalf of the communities, a community leader, Mr. Faith Mamamu, described the intervention as timely, noting that the oil spill had disrupted the economic activities of the people, particularly their fishing-based livelihoods.
Mamamu said the swift response demonstrated the governor’s concern for the welfare of the affected communities at a time when residents were grappling with the consequences of the environmental incident.
According to him, Oborevwori is the only governor to have visited the community in more than 20 years, a development he said had strengthened the people’s confidence in the state government’s willingness to address their concerns.
Some beneficiaries of the medical outreach said that the availability of free healthcare had offered relief to residents who might otherwise have struggled to meet the cost of medical consultations, investigations and medications.
They urged the government to sustain its support for the communities and address other pressing needs arising from the oil spill.
