Akugbene community in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State was one of the rural communities used as outreach centers for the free medical mission for Bomadi/Patani federal constituency.
The community which is accessible to both land and riverine transportation was chosen among the target communities through special selection criteria with the intent of ensuring that maximum benefit of the programme is achieved.
This stemmed from the fact that the community is in dire need of health care attention, lacks standard healthcare facility while access to medical care is both difficult and expensive. The predominant occupation in the community is fishing and farming.
This assertion was evident with the large turnout of the people at the medical outreach; a product of the joint effort of RAHI Medical Outreach and leaders of the community in the community sensitization/mobilization.
The 3 days outreach was flagged off at the community square by Hon Kelly Penaowei, S.A to Delta State Governor on Niger Delta Affairs and Braced Commission on behalf of the member representing Bomadi/Patani federal constituency, Hon Nicholas Mutu.
The outreach, highly commended by the people as one of the best in the community, attended to all strata of the people within the community and environs with the best medical standards for which the organization is known for.
The outpatients unit attended to patients with several disease conditions within the scope of the outreach, for which relevant drugs were prescribed and duly collected at the pharmacy unit. Special cases were referred to tertiary health institutions.
Ophthalmic unit attended to patients with eye cases. Glasses were given out after examination as it relates to the various eye defects that presented at the unit. Vital signs were taken by the nurses at the commencement of the outreach.
Dental surgery unit commenced routine tooth extraction after examination to determine the severity of cases while the medical records documented the data of all patients that were attended to during the outreach.
In essence, the free medical outreach in Bomadi/Patani federal constituency is a reference point that more needs to be done by both government and relevant stakeholders in healthcare delivery.
