NNPCL/First E&P JV advances community wellbeing with 4th KEFFESO medical outreach in Bayelsa

The NNPC Limited/FIRST E&P Joint Venture (JV) has successfully completed the 4th edition of its medical and health outreach programme in Bayelsa, bringing essential healthcare services closer to residents in its 11 KEFFESO host communities: Koluama 1, Koluama 2, Ezetu 1, Ezetu 2, Foropa, Fish Town, Ekeni, Sangana, Opu Okumbiri, Okumbiribeleu, and Oginibiri.

The outreach, which began on September 21, provided free medical consultations, laboratory testing, eye and dental screenings, eye surgeries, health education, and other critical healthcare services.

Organised in partnership with the KEFFESO Host Communities Development Trust (KHCDT) it was supported by a dedicated team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, ophthalmologists, laboratory specialists, and public health practitioners.

Individuals identified during the outreach as needing surgery for treatable eye conditions were enrolled in a specialised eye surgery program at the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa. The surgeries will be fully funded as part of the medical outreach initiative.

During the kick-off, Acting Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Olanrewaju Igandan, represented by Advisor for Community Relations, Isaiah Ali, emphasised that the ongoing success of the initiative demonstrates NNPC Limited and its partners’ commitment to the well-being of the communities they operate in.

“Healthcare is an essential aspect of our responsibility because healthy communities are better positioned to engage in education, economic activities, and other facets of community development,” he said.

“Medical outreaches play a crucial role in our collective efforts to improve access to healthcare in our producing communities. They create opportunities to provide essential medical services, promote early detection of health conditions, and raise awareness of healthy practices,” Igandan stated.

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Executive Director of Corporate Services at FIRST E&P, Emmanuel Etomi, represented by Head of Social Performance Ayebatonye Benjamin-Basuo, added that the outreach is part of the company’s broader commitment to enhancing the well-being of its host communities through sustained investments in healthcare, education, and economic empowerment.

Etomi mentioned that the KEFFESO Medical Outreach has served over 10,000 people across 11 communities over the past four years, offering residents of remote areas access to quality healthcare services.

This initiative provides preventive care, early diagnosis, and treatment, helping to overcome barriers such as distance, transportation challenges, limited access to medical personnel, and high costs associated with specialist care, which can delay or prevent timely medical attention.

Dr Ngowari Torunana, the Director of Services at the Ministry of Health, Bayelsa State, praised the residents of the various communities for their peaceful coexistence with the company, reaffirming the state government’s commitment to collaborating with stakeholders to deliver medical services to residents of these areas.

Dr Henry Amaegberi, Vice Chairman of the KHCDT, who spoke on behalf of the Chairman, His Royal Highness Theophilus Moses, commended FIRST E&P for fulfilling its mandate of ensuring the well-being of its host communities and encouraged residents to take advantage of the unique opportunity for free medical care provided by the joint venture partners.

Mrs Christiana Ebiye, a beneficiary of the KEFFESO outreach, shared her gratitude to FIRST E&P, noting that the program provided her with access to medical attention that would otherwise have been difficult or costly to obtain.