As part of the 2024 Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Week celebrations, the Urhobo Consultative Forum (UCF), a non-partisan network of Urhobo intelligentsia dedicated to the socio-economic prosperity and unity of the Urhobo Nation, organized a transformative two-day free medical outreach. The initiative provided over 400 indigent Urhobo people with free medical checkups, eye screenings, medications, and eyeglasses. Additionally, the UCF donated drugs worth millions of naira to the Primary Health Center in Agbarho, located in Ughelli North Local Government Area.
Held at the Urhobo House in Uvwiamuge, Agbarho, this impactful outreach reflects UCF’s commitment to enhancing the welfare and development of the Urhobo community.
Speaking on the first day, Engr. Akpojotor Okiti, the program convener, emphasized the forum’s dedication to giving back. He highlighted critical medical cases identified during the outreach, including that of an eight-month-old baby with an acute hernia, underscoring the necessity of such health interventions.
“The Urhobo Consultative Forum comprises professionals from diverse fields united by a shared mission to improve the socio-economic and cultural welfare of the Urhobo people, with a particular focus on healthcare,” Engr. Okiti stated.
Dr. Kingsley Akaba, Chief Medical Consultant from the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, shared insights from the outreach. He revealed that many beneficiaries were grappling with conditions such as hypertension, malnutrition, and anemia. Dr. Akaba called on the Delta State Government to implement targeted policies to improve healthcare access and outcomes for grassroots communities.
The Secretary of the UCF Board of Trustees, Dr. Benson Uwheru, highlighted that the medical outreach aligns with the forum’s mission to promote unity, health, and sustainable development. “As a network of Urhobo intellectuals and professionals, the UCF is committed to strengthening the socio-economic and cultural foundations of the Urhobo Nation through strategic advocacy, innovative solutions, and impactful initiatives,” Dr. Uwheru emphasized.
Dr. Uwheru also noted that the outreach supports the A.R.I.S.E. Agenda, a strategic blueprint for advancing the holistic development of the Urhobo people.
Mr. Abraham Ogbodo, Chairman of the Forum, commended the efforts of all participants and emphasized the donation of drugs worth millions of naira to the Primary Health Center in Agbarho, which will significantly bolster healthcare services in the region.
Beneficiaries expressed heartfelt gratitude to the UCF for its life-changing interventions, calling on other prominent Urhobo sons and daughters to emulate the forum’s example by contributing to the meaningful development of Urhobo land and its people.
This free medical outreach demonstrates the Urhobo Consultative Forum’s steadfast commitment to promoting unity, improving healthcare access, and driving sustainable socio-economic growth within the Urhobo Nation.
