Over 500 Benefit from Free Medical Outreach Organised by Institute in Rivers Community

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Over 500 residents of Opobo community in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State have benefited from free medical care outreach organised by the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) in partnership with organisers of Opobo Marathon.

The outreach is part of a comprehensive community medical outreach organised alongside the 8th edition of Opobo Marathon, reinforcing the event’s growing impact beyond sports.

The programme provided beneficiaries with free medical consultations, health screenings and basic healthcare services, offering much-needed support to residents across the kingdom.

Speaking during the outreach, Project Lead of Opobo Marathon, Henry Cookey, expressed appreciation to IHVN for its commitment to community health, describing the intervention as both timely and impactful.

He noted the initiative embodied the core values of the marathon, which seeks to use sport as a platform for development and service to humanity.

Cookey also paid special tribute to the Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of IHVN, Dr. Charles Mensah, whose leadership and institutional support, he said, were instrumental to the success of the outreach.

The medical exercise was coordinated by Dr. Fabian Jaja, who highlighted the scale and significance of the intervention.

According to him, a dedicated medical team comprising five doctors, nurses and medical volunteers was deployed to ensure effective and efficient service delivery.

Dr. Jaja added the impressive turnout and level of medical need witnessed during the outreach underscored the importance of taking healthcare services directly to the grassroots.

Community leaders and beneficiaries also commended the initiative, Solomon Ogolo, a respected community leader who participated in the exercise, praised both IHVN and the Opobo Marathon organisers after undergoing medical checks.

He described the outreach as a commendable effort, noting that access to free and quality healthcare meant a great deal to the people of Opobo, particularly at a time when such services are often out of reach for many.

The medical outreach stands as a strong testament to IHVN’s ongoing contribution to strengthening healthcare access at the community level, while further cementing the Opobo Marathon’s reputation as a purpose-driven event committed to health, unity and sustainable community development in the Niger Delta.