A non-governmental organization, Stakeholders alliance for corporate accountability (SACA) has commenced a flood impact response intervention programme in Bayelsa state.
The programme which include medical outreach and distribution of food stuffs, and other palliatives aimed at mitigating the impact of the devastating floods in the state, according to the Executive-Director of SACA, Mr Kingsley Ozegbe is expected to hold in its first round across nine focal communities of SACA, hence Agbura Community of the Yenagoa council area of the state was chosen to kick-start it.
He noted that the impact of the floods have unleashed untold economic hardship on impacted victims and communities, saying also that aside the medical outreach which will enable them know the health statuses and treatment of investigated illnesses in victims, the NGO would also be distributing food stuffs to impacted focal communities, as well as administer questionnaires on victims for a post-flood intervention outreach which is also expected to be carried out by SACA, upon concluding its flood response scheme.
The SACA Executive-Director said: “We’ve a team of Medical Doctors and other medical professionals who would be medically examining and treating ill victims impacted by the flood.
“This programme is tagged: ‘SACA flood response intervention’. It’s expected to take place first in nine out of our 41 focal communities across Bayelsa state. But, we’ve begun in Agbura today, we’ve nine days for the first nine communities.
“But in total, we intent to reach out to 24 Communities first.However, we wanted to begin this programme first in nine Communities before reaching out to the remaining ones.”
National Wire gathered that SACA is funded by Misean Cara of Ireland and the St. Patrick missionary society, and that the flood response programme is carried out by SACA in partnership with the Bayelsa state Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Environment, respectively.
Speaking to Newsmen shortly after the commencement of the programme, the Deputy paramount ruler of Agbura Community, HRH Rex Okpoto thanked the Ngo for the initiative.
He said prior to the coming of SACA, the community was almost left out in the scheme of things concerning the Impact of the floods.
Speaking on behalf of the mammoth number of beneficiaries, Mrs Anita Etele lauded SACA for its magnanimity, noting that she saw through the conduct of the NGO, its desire and willingness of ameliorating their plights as impacted victims of the devastating floods.
In a related development, the head, medical outreach of the SACA’S flood response intervention programme, Dr (Mrs) Maria Okpomu-keme has said their medical findings revealed that there were prevalent cases of malaria, typhoid, blood pressure issues and skin infections occasioned by the floodings amongst patients attended to.
She advised impacted victims to make themselves available for medical examination and possible treatment so as to enable them live a heathy life as the floods continue to recedes across impacted areas of the state.
