RSG Flags Off Free Ear Care & Screening Services

March 17, 2024

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Nma Odu has expressed gratitude to the State Chief Executive, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for his dynamism and focus in governance.

Prof. Odu stated this during the flag off of the Free Ear Care and Screening Services organized by the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital in collaboration with the Rivers State Chapter of Oto-rhino-laryngological Society of Nigeria (ORLSON) at Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery Clinic Rebisi, Port Harcourt as part of activities to mark the 2024 World Hearing Day, on Friday 15th March 2024.

Prof. Odu said “the Governor hardly talks, but he works, his focus in life is beyond infrastructure, he makes a lot of emphasis on service delivery, he makes more emphasis on things that affects people directly, things you will not see they are not tangible, but they are there being very impactful, and that is why we have to acknowledge his contributions in various fields and spheres, but particularly for this one that is happening today, commemorating the World Hearing Day.”

According to the Deputy Governor, the World Hearing Day has not been celebrated in this dimension before, stressing that for the first time we have over a hundred patients who are to have free ear screening, ordinarily they would have paid for consultation and their cards, but that has been taken care of because of the kind of man we have as a Governor.

“The Governor does things that impact on people and when they leave they remember that he touched their lives in many more ways than one. The burden of the inability to hear, today we are drawing it close to everybody both the rich and poor, especially those who cannot afford access to health to come in here to get tested free of charge, recommendations and fellow up will be added to it, so we cannot thank the Governor enough”, she further stressed.

Prof. Odu expressed the need to appreciate the Governor in order to encourage him to render more services that impact on the people, because what you do directly to people lingers on for the rest of their lives.

On her part, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, while eulogising the contributions of Late Dr. Chimdi Afuluka Odu, a foremost ENT Surgeon, said the theme for this year’s World Hearing Day: “Changing Mind Set Let’s Make Ear Hearing Care a Reality for All”, perfectly keys into Governor Fubara’s vision of Health for all in Rivers State, while commending the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, the State Chapter of ORLSON and the Chimdi Odu Foundation for making the ground work for the fulfilment of the policy which the Governor made during the opening of the facility as an annex of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.

In his remarks the Acting Chief Medical Director of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Chizindu Alikor, said Governor Fubara a few months ago ensured the completion, further equipping and opening of the ultra modern facility, where Dental Maxilo-facial Ophthalmology and ENT services are rendered to Rivers People, noting that since the opening of the facility the patient load has increased by 400%.

Also speaking the State Coordinator of ORLSON, Dr. Ureh Annabel Oparaodu, said hearing loss is a major public health issue, globally impacting over 1.5 billion people, according to the World Health Organization, noting that in Nigeria alone a large number of people suffer from preventive hearing loss due to lack of health education and proper ear care services.