Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
The David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu (DUFUHS), Ebonyi State, has commenced the diagnosis and free treatment of patients with respiratory diseases at the Abakaliki Rice Mill.
The university said it had made arrangements for the complete treatment of the first 200 people diagnosed with respiratory diseases.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Jesse Uneke, disclosed this on Tuesday at the rice mill during the official flag-off of the Equi-Resp Africa Research Project, which featured free screening and treatment of respiratory diseases and other health problems.
The programme was organised by the Equi-Resp Africa Research Project and DUFUHS in collaboration with the Institute of Child Health at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital (AE-FUTHA), Abakaliki.
Uneke said free drugs would be provided for the first 200 respiratory disease patients at the rice mill who are diagnosed and treated.
He described the Abakaliki rice mill as critical to the economy of both Ebonyi State and Nigeria, stressing that the health programme for operators and workers was designed to help keep them healthy.
“The Abakaliki rice mill is very critical to the economy, not just of Ebonyi State but Nigeria. There is hardly any place in the country where you do not hear about Abakaliki rice. But we must not forget that the men and women labouring here to provide good rice for Nigerians also need to have good health,” he said.
Uneke explained that the intervention was designed to improve the health of the workers so they could continue to contribute to rice production in the country.
He noted that the research team conducted screening for respiratory diseases and would provide free treatment for those diagnosed.
“We have made arrangements for complete treatment for the first 200 people. Of course, there are thousands of people here, but not everyone is likely to have a respiratory disease. The first 200 diagnosed will receive free treatment drugs,” he added.
The Vice-Chancellor further revealed that the Equi-Resp Africa Research Project was also monitoring air quality at the rice mill in addition to the free screening and treatment.
According to him, the air quality monitoring will help determine the level of risk associated with activities at the rice mill.
“If you say that a place is heavily polluted without data to support it, you may not be able to formulate context-specific policies. The idea of bringing air quality monitors here is to determine the quality of air and ascertain the level of pollution so we can quantify the risk,” he said.
Uneke explained that the project aims to generate evidence that government ministries can use to formulate policies that address the peculiar health challenges faced by workers in the rice mill.
Also speaking, the Director of the Institute of Child Health at AE-FUTHA, Prof. Techla Ezeonu, said many people working at the rice mill suffer from one form of respiratory disease or another, which informed the decision to carry out the outreach.
“We intend to promote equitable access to healthcare. It is important to reach out to the rice mill community because their health matters. They are feeding us with rice, so healthcare must also be taken to them,” she said.
Ezeonu explained that the team was also using specialised equipment, including a spirometry machine, to assess lung function among workers.
“For those with impaired lung function, we have free medications available to treat the condition,” she added.
