BY SAMUEL OLUSEGUN PRECIOUS
The Rivers State Flood Prevention and Management Committee has announced one-year free medical care for residents affected by flooding across the state.
The Executive Secretary of the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme, Dr Vetty Agara, disclosed this on Tuesday in Omoku, during the distribution of relief materials to flood victims in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.
Agara urged flood victims to register at the council secretariat to access the free medical services, saying registration would be carried out across affected communities in collaboration with the local government.
“All we’re saying is that all the people affected by the flood, they’ll be registered. From today, our people are here in Omoku, and other communities in ONELGA. We go from community to community to reach everybody affected by the flood. We’ll work with the Local Government,” she said.
Chairman of the Flood Prevention and Management Committee and Rivers State Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Odu, described ONELGA as one of the local government areas most affected by flooding in the state.
Odu said the Orashi region required special attention because flooding in the area is linked to rising water levels and rivers overflowing their banks, particularly when dams are opened.
“We have to pay special attention to Orashi Region. In other local government areas, what we have is what we call urban flood or flash flood. Most times, it was due to people blocking the drainage system. People also put up infrastructures that block the drainage,” she said.
“But we have come here because, especially when the dam is opened, some of the rivers rise and overflow their bounds. So, it affects us the most.”
Odu also said the state was combining health insurance with flood intervention as part of its response to the impact of flooding.
The committee handed over relief materials to the Vice Chairman of ONELGA, Dr Happiness Nwokocha, for distribution to affected residents.
The items included bags of rice, beans, garri, salt, instant noodles, palm oil, mattresses, bedsheets, pillows, plates, spoons and flip-flops.
Odu also said Ndoni would receive special attention, with Wards 14 and 15 identified as among the areas badly affected by the flooding.
Meanwhile, another team led by the Rivers State Head of Service, Dr Inyingi Brown, visited Abua/Odual Local Government Area to hand over relief materials to council officials for distribution to flood victims.
The Commissioner for Education, Dr Peters Nwangor, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Dr Honour Sirawoo, were among officials who joined the committee during the distribution exercise in Omoku.
