A total of 100 residents of Gelegele community in Ovia South West local government area of Edo State have benefited from a free medical outreach organised by The Ecological Action Advocacy Foundation (TEAAF) in the oil-producing community.
The medical outreach with the theme, “Analysing the Environmental and Heath Impacts of Extractive Activities in Niger Delta,” was first of its kind in the community , according to the residents who could not hide their joy while welcoming the team to the community.
At the event, the executive director of TEAAF, Ann Ajirioghene Offi, said the idea of the medical outreach was to get detailed and factual health implications of the gas flaring and other extractive activities going on in communities, adding that Gelegele was chosen as the starting point because of the many stories about the place and its peculiarities.
Offi said the programme was also aimed at providing “free medical support to meet the people’s current lack of medical care as well as guiding them on how to survive the stress and health challenges they face in their community.”
The executive director, who added that the programme also involved health sensitisation, noted: “We came here for a visit some time back, and we saw the state of the community and the people’s health. So, we deemed it fit that it would be of good use in sensitising the people in danger of gas flaring and extractive activities in the heart of the community.”
He continued, “We are taking this medical outreach to other oil producing communities across the Niger Delta but we decided to kick start the programme in Gelegele because of the many stories about the community.
“And from the medical tests we carried out, we discovered that eye challenges, body hitching, high blood pressure and other ailments are rampant among the people. All these are caused by the gas flaring in the heart of the community.”
On his findings, Dr Nicholas Avabore Akpevboghene, a medical practitioner who was part of the team, said: “From my observation from the people I have seen today in this community, there are actually adverse effects of the gas flaring in the community. In the sense that most of them have issues relating to hitching, hypertension, difficulty in breathing, etc. All these are results of the flare and also, as a result of the pollution that has actually affected the water they use to bath.”
One of the beneficiaries, Elder Emmanuel Obi, said it has been very difficult for them to get medical care because of the distance and finance, adding that the free medical care has brought relief to many.
Another beneficiary, Mr Goday Kororo said: “We were given free tests and drugs. This type of free medical care has not happened in this community before, so this is the first time.”
