When in 2001 High Chief O. B Lulu-Briggs caught the vision to help the poor in villages and communities to address their health care challenges, he knew he was like the biblical David. His vision is supported by his wife Dr. Sienye, who is a pastor.
Many personalities of the region’s origin could be adjudged wealthier than the High Chief, but their occasional ‘charity’ outside their immediate family, is often associated with their intended political gains from the communities; but for the High Chief, he transverses the length and breath of communities and villages with his milk of kindness expecting nothing in return.
Communities always crave to host the foundation’s medical team. The free Medical Mission held four times annually, – once in a quarter features all aspect of medical intervention, including eye care, dental, physiotherapy, Paediatrics, blood sugar investigation as well as free surgery.
Many of the patients have lived with the diseases for a period for their inability to carry the high cost of accessing care in public and private healthcare facility with their slim income. The facilities are sometimes not also found in the community or anywhere close to them.
An estimated number of over 500,000 persons, including children, have benefited in the 25 missions conducted by the foundation since inception.
The free medical mission train has visited many communities in the 23 local government areas of Rivers State, and some in Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states in 14 years.
The five-day long event always witnesses high turn-out of healthcare seekers. Each outreach records between 2,500 and 4,000 beneficiaries.
The demand for the foundation’s gesture is apparently increasing, more communities and villages desire to play host to them, the wok is expanding, heart of the giver is getting larger, eager to do more, he feels he is not doing enough whenever he remembers that some intended beneficiaries are always shut off because of time, especially those needing operation.
Surgeries are not usually carried out on the Fifth day, being the last day. The reason being that there is usually no time to watch and monitor their recovery process before the team leaves the community, so they will have to continue to live with their pains till God knows when.
High Chief O.B. Lulu-Briggs is the sole funder of all the Foundation’s programs from inception. Annually, hundreds of millions of Naira is used to carry out intervention programmes of the foundation, including the quarterly free medical mission in rural areas.
The need for partnership to reach out to more beneficiaries in communities at this time cannot be overemphasized.
The Foundation is calling for partners like passion to assist deliver this noble course to the suffering rural poor.
It must not necessarily come in form of cash donations but volunteering of services by individuals, groups’, organizations, provision of medical equipment, consumables, including drugs by pharmaceutical companies, health facilities by government among others, would go long way in providing the suffering rural dwellers formidable shoulder to lean on. The Executive Director of the foundation, Sienye O. B. Lulu-Briggs said at Omudioga outreach recently.
Moved with passion on the way crowd trooped out on the fourth day to access the free treatment at Omudioga recently, Mrs. O.B. Lulu-Briggs said: “The work is much, but I have satisfaction up to an extent that as much as we can do, we are doing. We are aware that this programme lasts for five days, there are so many people that will not be attended to and I am not happy about that.
“Though happy that we have over 3000 people treated, including over 30 surgery cases, but we do not carry out surgeries on the last day even when they are identified, because we like to monitor them and then refer them to a hospital in case they would need further follow up.
“The fact that there are many that were not treated, operated upon, is very painful part for me, and that is actually the part that makes me to plan ahead for yet another mission, because I know that the work isn’t done yet.”
Omudioga, a community in Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State, is located between Omarelu and Elele in Emuoha. It was carved out of Emuoha from Ikwerre Local Government Area 24 years ago. Residents are predominantly farmers. The community is rich in land mass with good soil rich for agricultural purposes and mineral deposit.
The Executive Director, while expressing her plan on how to expand the scope of the mission to accommodate more beneficiaries, called for partnership with other interested organisations.
“There is room for more supports from organisations and institutions as they work with us in critical role of bringing health care delivery and social development to the door steps of rural dwellers.
“We are certain that charity and philanthropic organizations who are willing to create a strong collaboration with other organization in their specialized field of operation, will have a comparative advantage of resources to expand their reach, in far communities and in full service.
“The O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation is willing at all times to join hands and resources with government institutions, private individuals, corporate organizations and likeminded philanthropic organizations in executing programmes that will positively impact the health care and social landscape of rural dwellers.
“This synergy has brought to the fore the twin pillars of healthcare delivery and spiritual wellbeing of rural dwellers as a pinnacle upon which our free medical mission is predicated.”
Close to 4000 persons were treated with over 30 surgeries carried out in both adults and infants during the outreach.
The Executive Director wished more grounds had been covered by the foundation within its 14 years of existence.
“This is the 25th outreach of the foundation, I don’t know whether we can cover all communities in the Niger Delta region in this life’s time. We have been in four states, we are yet to cover communities in Rivers state, because in each Local Government, we don’t have just towns and villages but communities.” She expressed.
Some of the beneficiaries, could not hold back their gratitude to the foundation, especially fathers whose sons successfully went through surgery section in the program.
They testified of the gesture before the crowd. Ajunwata Uchenna Emelayo, a native of Imo state who is resident in the community said, “My son was diagnosed of double hernia on his scrotum but the surgery was not carried out for some obvious reasons.
“Some years later the problem started, I spent N85, 000 to remove the first one at University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), a Federal Government health facility, it was not easy for me and family then because the case sapped our lean finance.
“Last year again, the second one began to trouble him. Each time the pains starts he will be restless, refuse food, and would not go to school. This has been a great source of worry and fear to me because I have been thinking of how to raise another N85, 000 or even more to go for another operation.
“When I heard about the coming of this team on a free medical mission, I decided to take advantage of this rear opportunity God has provided to us, and my son was operated on at no cost.
Also testifying, another man whose seven-year old son was operated of hernia said the surgery was delayed for five years for lack of money and expressed gratitude to God for Lulu-Briggs Foundation for coming to his rescue.
“I thank God Almighty for this signs and wonders He has brought to my home, I also thank the Foundation for her care and love for humanity especially the rural poor/neglected of the society.
“This my son has been suffering from this hernia for the five years now. We’ve been to several hospitals both public and private, but the bill is too high for me to afford, I have gone as far as Bayelsa looking for where it could be affordable all to no avail, till I got tired.
“In June I traced the foundation to Minama in Asari-Toru LGA where they were holding the mission , but I was asked to come down to this place( Omudioga), I came back and waited for them and today, my son is free from this 5-year old pain free of charge. I pray that God reward this Philanthropist of our time with longer life, so he will continue to do this good work.”
Also a middle aged Gabriel Amadi who was also operated of his long standing hernia problem at the event, testimonies and good wishes were as usual the order of the day, as the community and her members thanked their benefactor and prayed for God’s continued blessings, good health and long life.
Also the Founder of the Royal House of Grace, Apostle Zilly Aggrey who partnered the Foundation in evangelising the community while the program lasted blessed the High Chief for considering the forgotten community of Omudioga for the program.
He prayed, “Generations unborn will speak of this day for what you have done in Omudioga. We declare to you, like father Abraham, it shall be the God of O.B. Lulu-Briggs; anywhere they go to, it shall be said, of this day there was a man who lived and this is why we had those testimonies from those children.
“The oil of God upon your life shall not cease; Omudioga community blesses you that it will be well with you, your children and children’s children. Generations after another shall call you blessed in Jesus name…Amen.”
The joy of the community at the gesture was unimaginable. In a welcome address delivered on behalf of the Monarch, Eze E, C. Onyeka, an Octogenarian by Ezekiel Wosamma, said it was the first time the community was experiencing such milk of kindness.
“Today, the people of Omudioga celebrates free medical mission programme, the first of it’s kind since the inception of Omudioga 24 years ago.” The Monarch said.
Shortly after the event, leader of the surgical team, Dr. Etuk Akpan, explained to newsmen the cases handled in the community.
“What we do here is out-patient services, with day-case surgery, in which patients who under-go surgery are discharged to go home after a few hours, or at most the following day.
“Because of this, we carry out cases like lymphoma, hernia, hydroceles both in adult and children. We carried out over 30 surgeries must were children.
“Common surgical cases we found in Omudioga are lymps, swellings, hernia and hydroceles, none of these is caused by lifestyle, type of food or anything they have done, but just an atomical disorder.”
The Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, expressed gratitude to the High Chief for bringing health care delivery closer to the rural poor at no cost.
Represented by the permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Dr, Somiari Isaac Heart, Banigo described Lulu-Briggs as a philanthropist of great repute and promised government continued collaboration by obliging the Foundation the health facilities across the state to continue to bringing succour to health challenges of community dwellers.
