By Adewale Sanyaolu, Lagos
About 4,000 host community members of Egbin Power Plc have benefitted from a 3-day free medical outreach.
The initiative which is part of the firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative is aimed at promoting quality health and sustainability for communities in Egbin, Ipakan and Ijede.
Egbin Power Plc, the largest power generation company in Nigeria, said the free medical check-up was organized to reinforce its commitment to the well-being of members in the host communities including youths, women, children, and aged people by providing access to periodic healthcare screening, to promote sound health.
The three-day medical outreach, which catered for more than 4,000 people offered cardiovascular check-ups, diabetes screening, dental care and medications to beneficiaries who were attended to by healthcare professionals.
Head of Corporate Communications and Branding, Egbin Power Plc, Felix Ofulue, said the company is committed to driving sustainability, people empowerment and promoting the welfare of members of its host communities in line with its CSR intervention programme.
The outreach was facilitated in partnership with Cecy Health Consult, a professional healthcare company and it provided members of host communities access to quality health examinations and free medications conducted by certified health practitioners.
“Our CSR initiatives are devoted to benefitting and improving the quality of life within the community. This initiative started in 2019 in our host communities and thousands of residents of these communities have benefitted. We are quite pleased with the turnout this year, “said Ofulue as he reflected on the outcome of the exercise.
“As a company, we are passionate about the health and safety of the people in the communities we operate, and we uphold the maxim that ‘we truly care’. In addition to our corporate social responsibility, this exercise is also part of the company’s commitment to a mutually beneficial relationship with its host communities”.
“We sincerely hope that these interventions will help change the narrative around health care in these communities,” he said.
Speaking, the Leader of the facilitating Health team and Managing Director of Cecy Health Consult, Dr Yomi Jaiye, commended Egbin Power Plc for making it a point of duty to promote wellness in its host communities consistently over the years.
He revealed that the 35-man medical team that conducted the outreach comprise medical officers, family physicians, internal medicine specialists, Dentists, Cardiologists, Nurses and Pharmacists.
The Medical Officer of Health in Ijede LCDA, Dr Tajudeen Saheed, commended Egbin Power Plc for the laudable initiative. “Even though we have primary and secondary health centres within the LCDA, it is important to note that this initiative of the power company is free and accessible to all. We are blessed in the LCDA to have such an impactful program, which will further help provide the needed health care to residents of the host communities”.
Also speaking, the Leader and Baale of Ipakan Community, Chief Mustapha Lasisi, thanked the Power Generation company for giving back to the community. “This gesture is in no small measure taking care of the prevailing health problems of some members of our community. Since 2019, the company has been carrying out this commendable initiative and to us, it is a good development, and we really appreciate their effort.”.
Similarly, the Odofin of Ijede, High Chief Babatunde Ogunmuyiwa, commended the company for the impactful initiative. According to him, “Like the previous year, they are providing cardiovascular care, dental care among other treatments we are quite appreciative of this. It is part of the CSR interventions which they have been doing and we hope they will continue to do more of this”.
As a form of sustainability, a number of beneficiaries who had elevated issues of hypertension and diabetes were presented with Blood Pressure machines, Glucometer to check their blood sugar level and weighing scales.
One of the beneficiaries of the free health programme, Alasela Akinyemi acknowledged the positivity the programme has brought to the community. “I came here because I have been having body aches and immediately, I got here, the doctors attended to me. They even attended to the older people on time, and I want to appreciate the company for bringing this kind of programme to our doorstep because I didn’t pay anything for these.”