Over 220 indigent persons in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State were on Thursday, August 26, 2021screened by medical personnel to ascertain their Diabetes status sponsored by a charitable organization known as the Obinwanne Support Initiative.
This is in continuation of the Free Monthly Diabetes Screening and Drug Support exercise started by the Foundation whose initiator, Barr Obinna Ukawoko, has through various programmes, touched many lives in the LGA through various empowerments.
The initiator of the Foundation and an Umuahia based industrialist, Barr Ukawoko said those that were screened and found to be Diabetes free were medically counseled, while those diagnosed as living with the disease were given drugs by a team of medical personnel the Foundation assembled for the event.
However, before the Thursday medical ceremony, the Obinwanne Foundation has provided some cash, cooking oil, beans, rice etc to petty traders in LGA to help them move their businesses to the next level.
At the event, held at the Umuahia South Council headquarters, Apumiri, Ubakala and witnessed by many dignitaries, Ukawoko said he set up the foundation to help the less privileged to stay healthy and survive the hard times.
According to him, “those with severe cases were given two weeks supply of relevant drugs and asked to come back after two weeks for re-screening. Others were counseled by professional dietitians.
“To the glory of God Almighty, the Foundation is being used to touch lives and give hopes to compliment our Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu ‘s giant strides in health care delivery in the state”, he opined.
In his speech at the occasion, the Executive Chairman, Umuahia South LGC, Dr Humphery Chukwudi Benson, lauded Barr Ukawoko for his spirit of philathropism and urged other well to do indigenes of Umuahia South to endeavour to assist the less privileged in the area without conditionality.
The Permanent Secretary, Trade and Investment in Abia State, Chief Michael Chianakwalam Egwu who spoke at the event, noted that the medical exercise will go a long way in treating not only Diabetes patients, but other patients and indeed the less privileged in Umuahia South, which the Foundation and its founder have continued to touch their lives.
The immediate past representative of Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Oluchi Ibeji said the programme will afford the people of Umuahia South, comprising Ubakala, Olokoro and Umuopara, the opportunity of checking their health status and staying healthy now that the health of most Nigerians is speedily deteriorating.
The medical and empowerment programmes will continue in other Clans in Umuahia South LGA such as Umuopara and Olokoro on some later days.Uche Nwosu is a two time Shell Petroleum PLC award winner in the year 2000;
He won the Shell Award on Investigative Journalism and Environmental Cleanliness.
