By Bariku Felix
The Rivers State Government has flagged off its monthly community-based free medical outreach for communities hosting its healthcare facilities.
The outreach, a collaboration between the State Ministry of Health and the Hospitals Management Board, was launched at the Kelsey Harrison Hospital in Diobu, Port Harcourt.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Health, Dr. Comfort Igwe, said the initiative aligns with the government’s commitment to ensuring universal access to quality healthcare. She emphasized the importance of community-based healthcare in reaching the most vulnerable populations.
Igwe stated that the key objectives of the programme include providing free medical services, improving healthcare access for all residents—particularly pregnant women and children under five—promoting health awareness, and educating the community on various health issues including maternal and child health.
She added that the programme also aims to strengthen the healthcare system by enhancing its capacity to deliver quality services. Igwe reiterated the government’s commitment to achieving universal healthcare coverage.
“Our government is dedicated to making healthcare a fundamental right, not a privilege. We will continue to work towards universal healthcare coverage, ensuring that every resident enjoys free and quality healthcare services,” she said.
The Chief Medical Director of the Rivers State Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Bright Ogbonda, explained that the outreach is designed to bring healthcare services closer to grassroots communities and to stimulate increased use of the state’s health facilities.
“We want to ensure that we sensitize the people on the need for them to be health conscious. Also, it is to ensure that we generate demand for our facilities. What this means is that people we cannot reach due to equipment limitations in their areas will now come to our facility at Kelsey Harrison Hospital, thereby increasing its utilization,” Ogbonda noted.
He added that the programme also forms part of the Board’s corporate social responsibility to host communities and to the police, particularly the Mile One Police Division, for their continued support to the hospital and its staff.
“For the surrounding communities, including the able policemen who have frequently supported us, what we give to them in return is our own part of corporate social responsibility. From the little we have, we are offering this free medical programme so that they can benefit,” he said.
The CMD noted that the outreach, which will be held monthly across all the Board’s facilities, will offer services such as surgeries, eye care, dental services, and more.
In his remarks, Divisional Police Officer of the Mile One Police Division, CSP Francis Ogbechie, expressed gratitude to the Board for extending the services to officers of the division.
