How donated health centre will benefit Edo displaced persons

Before now, Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) at the Uhuogua Camp in Ovia North East, Local Government of Edo state had difficulty accessing health care services.

The IDPs told our reporter that they had to travel to other places or wait for free medical outreaches by some organizations to access healthcare.

They said they faced untold hardships traveling out of the community with their lean resources just to receive medical treatments.

However recently, a -five room-health centre was built for them by a nongovernmental organisation, Rural Health Initiative for Improved Living (RHIIL).

“Before, we had to travel to Benin metropolis before getting treatment. But now that we have a health centre within the camp, it would be easier for us,” said Tani Philemon, a displaced person at the camp.

Another displaced person, Jummai Filibus, said most displaced persons at the camp rarely receive early treatment whenever they fell sick, and only relied on divine intervention when they fall sick at night.

On his part, Andrew Ilias, another resident of the camp said the health challenges of the IDPS would be easily attended to now that the health centre was located in the camp.

Coordinator of the camp, Pastor Folorunsho Solomon, noted that the centre would improve the health and living standard of the people in the camp.

While commending the donor of the health centre, he called on the government to help in the provision of drugs.

Edo State Commissioner for Health, David Osifo, assured the IDPs that the state government would provide qualified health personnel for the centre. He commended the NGO for the gesture, and called on other organisations to support the IDPs.

President of Rural Health Initiative for Improved Living (RHIIL), Rev. Mrs. Josephine Kpere-Daibo, said the NGO decided to build the health centre for the camp to bring health care service closer to the IDPS, and prevent outbreak of diseases in the camp.