At least 5,625 people, including men, women, youth, children, and the elderly, were beneficiaries of the just concluded EMOIMEE Medical Workshop that took place in five communities of Mbo LGA, Akwa Ibom State.
The medical workshop, with the theme “Promoting the Health and Well-Being of Mbo Citizens, was held in Enwang, Uda, Ebughu, Udesi, and Effiat communities and was carried out in collaboration with the Global Hands Medical Foundation.
Designed to cater for the health needs of the people of the Mbo, the week-long event featured seminars, lectures, and training, which exposed participants to a wealth of knowledge in various medical fields, especially on how to maintain simple hygiene and prevent infections and communicable diseases.
Our correspondent reports that the workshop was held concurrently in the Enwang and Uda communities for five working days, as well as in Ebughu and Udesi for another five working days, making it two weeks of medical tourism in the council area.
Also, the medical team spent another four days in Esuk Enwang, one of the 14 island villages of Effiat Ikpoto, still in Mbo Local Government Area.
Giving statistics on the work done during the workshop, the Medical Director of the Global Hands Medical Foundation, Dr. Titus Antai, said that a total of 5,625 people benefited from the medical workshop.
He explained that while 257 patients went through general surgeries, 127 had eye surgeries, even as 1,757 received reading glasses, and 245 had referrals to secondary and tertiary medical facilities, respectively.
Flanked by a medical consultant with Global Hands Medical Foundation, Dr. Katherine Ntekim, Antai added that 252 patients were treated to dental procedures, while 2,987 went through laboratory diagnostics.
Antai said that the general surgeries performed during the workshop included herniorrhaphy, ganglion, lumber hernia repair, herniotomy, lumpectomy, appendicitis, and myomectomy, among others.
He expressed appreciation to God for leading the medical experts to carry out a total of 384 surgeries (for both general and eye surgeries) without complications.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony of the workshop, the EMOIMEE Board Chairman, Sen. Helen Esuene, explained that the acronym EMOIMEE was coined from the seven LGAs of Eket, Mkpat Enin, Onna, Ikot Abasi, Mbo, Eastern Obolo, and Esit Eket, which form the Trust.
Flanked by Mbo Board Member, Engr Asuquo Inuikim; Ikot Abasi Board Member, Chief Emmanuel Ntuk; and the Management Committee Chairman, Dr Linus Okon, among others, Senator Esuene used the occasion to announce the intentions of EMOIMEE to revamp the medical facilities in Mbo LGA.
On his part, the Mbo Board Member, Dr. Asuquo Inuikim, told Mbo people that EMOIMEE was in a hurry to bring meaningful development to the area.
He recalled the various interventions being carried out by EMOIMEE, adding that more of such were under way.
Meanwhile, the Management Committee Members, Chief Ulo Ante Uye and Chief Edet E. Okon, as well as the Advisory Committee Member, Chief Ita Ntekim, lauded the Mbo people for their cooperation and encouraged them to protect all development assets being brought to the area.
The event ended with an inspection of the primary health centres in the five communities, led by Mbo Board Member Sir Asuquo Inuikim, together with the Management and Advisory Committee members, including Chief Ulo Ante Uye, Chief Edet Okon, and Chief Ita Ntekim.
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