Thousands of beneficiaries of the medical outreach launched by the Effiat and Mbo Host Communities Development Trust in collaboration with the Oriental Energy Resources Limited,an indigenous oil and gas exploration company in Akwa Ibom State have hailed the medical programme ,describing it as life saving
The five days medical programme themed “Bringing healthcare closer to the people” which has been unveiled in Effiat and Uda communities will also be extended to ,Ebughu,Ewang and Udesi where beneficiaries would get free medical consultation, prostrate and cervical screenings, distribution of eye glasses as well as and deworming.
A cross section of the beneficiaries who spoke with our correspondent in Esuk-Enwang and Uda communities where the outreach programme have been launched appreciated the Board of Trustees of the Host Community Development Trust for the intervention and called for it sustainability
“I never thought we will have an opportunity like this in our lives to undergo wide range of medical consultation, prostrate and cervical screenings. But here today that has been brought right here to our door steps. it’s a lifesaving experience “Mrs Glory Ekpimah, who was screened of breast cancer said
Also, a fisherman man who identified himself as Mr Itabana, said ” I want to thank Effiat and Mbo Community Development Trust for this intervention. Some time ago I developed eye problems. One day I woke up and discovered that I cannot see well again and all efforts yielded no results until today that I received this eye glasses free of charge” he said
Also speaking, a lady,Ms Uduak Okon, expressed appreciation to the management team of the Trust and called on them to sustain the programme
“It will be heart warming for us if a programme like is sustained from year to year,” Okon said
The chairman, Board of Trustees of the Host community Development Trust, Mr Inam Okon ( barrister) had while declaring the programme open appreciated the community members particularly the traditional rulers who turned up their numbers to participate in the free medical programme
“By the grace of God and as long as we have the capacity, we plan to carry out these activities on an annual basis. This is just the beginning. We are also committed to doing more in other areas to further support and improve the well-being of our communities” he said
He announced the donation of medical equipment including blood testing machines and grass cutting machine to help clean up the environment.
“Anywhere ,we are doing an outreach,we leave lasting impression there,so these equipment are going to make impact in the community ” Okon said
Representatives of the Oriental Energy Resources limited and head of Governmental and Community Relations, Dr Uwem Ite, who spoke while fielding questions from journalists reinstated the need for yearly intervention to speed up development in the rural communities
However,he stated that the intervention would not only be on health alone, adding that there are five other different areas of interventions that the Trust can carry out within the law
According to him,” the medical outreach that we are doing today which started on the 13th of May,2026 is going to be an annual event activities for the Effiat and Mbo host communities Development Trust set up by Oriental Energy Resources limited, but you have to also understand that the Trust is set up not just for medical outreach; there are other things in that basket by law.
“There’s something on education, where you have seen scholarship awards being given to students. There’s also something on infrastructure where you will see some roads will be built, you will also see infrastructure in schools.So this medical outreach is just one of the five different things that the Trust is set up to do by law
“The law also requires the setlor which is the Oriental Energy to provide funding every year for these kind of activities. So as long as Oriental Energy produces oil and sell it,they will have to give money to the Trust to do what the Trust have to do by law”