Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (TEPNG), has
launched a healthcare awareness campaign to it rural communities in
Rivers State.
The first phase of the week-long exercise tagged NNPC/TEPNG Mass Free
Medical Service to communities in Opobo/Nkoro local government area of
the state.
Speaking at the flag-off of the campaign at Opobo Town, headquarters
of Opobo/Nkoro local government area of the state, TEPNG Deputy
Managing Director, Francois Le-Cocq, said the company embarked on the
exercise because it shares in the that ‘a healthy people make a
wealthy nation.
Le-Cocq stated that it has become a culture of TEPNG to champion
health related issues through various programmes that the company was
involved in.
He listed some of firm’s preventive and curative public health
intervention regimes to include; Healthy Living Awareness Campaign,
Safe Motherhood Programme and HIV Awareness Programme as well as
Capacity Building for Staff of Primary Health Care Centres.
The Deputy Managing Director, who was represented by the Community
Affairs Manager (Offshore and Port Harcourt), Engr. Okechukwu Obara,
said in the cause of the medical awareness campaign, 450 patients have
been treated.
He said, As a company, Total Exploration and Production Nigeria
Limited, share in the universal saying that ‘a healthy people make a
wealthy nation.
This belief has propelled us to sustain the noble efforts of the Joint
Venture to reach out to the critical needs of our people and support
both preventive and curative health care delivery policies and
programmes of government despite the challenging business environment.
It therefore has become a culture for us to continue to champion
health related issues through various programmes that we are involved
in.
We have continuously extended this valued culture to our host and
neighbouring communities through our numerous preventive and curative
health intervention regimes, such as: Healthy Living Awareness
Campaign, Safe Motherhood Programme and HIV Awareness Programme as
well as Capacity Building for Staff of Primary Health Care Centres, to
mention but a few.
After two days of this programme, available statistics indicate that
about 450 patients have so far been attended to. The breakdown of this
figure indicate the of the 450 patients so far treated, 85 were
pediatric cases, 112 Ophthalmological and four ante-natal cases.
Furthermore, four patients have already undergone successful surgeries
while others are awaiting further review preparatory for surgery.
Surely, these figures will rise further as the days go by, a testimony
that this programme is very popular and highly patronized by our
people.
In his speech, the Paramount Ruler of Opobo Kingdom and Chairman,
Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, King Dandeson
Douglas-Jaja, thanked TEPNG for the gesture.
Douglas-Jaja, who was represented by Alabo Princewill Wogo, Dappa VII,
described the medical awareness campaign as the first of it’s kind and
urged other multinational oil companies to emulate TEPNG.