Disease Outbreak Looms in Edo IDP Camp

Disease Outbreak Looms in Edo IDP Camp

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

There is danger of disease outbreak in Edo State Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp following breakdown of facilities, including lack of drugs and hygiene materials.

The IDP camp, managed by the International Christian Centre for Missions (ICCM) is located in Ohogua, Ovia North-east Local Government Area of Edo State and houses those displaced as a result of Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east.

The discovery was made when a team of doctors under a Non governmental Organisation, Doctors Time-Out visited the camp to de-worm the inmates, provide other medical assistance and take over the training of eight students from primary and secondary section of the school.

The IDP camp lacked all basic hygiene tools, drugs and necessities needed for daily living.

It was learnt that the facility lacks essential drugs for malaria and antibiotics to take care of the over 4,000 inmates in the place as well as sanitary pads for growing teenage girls who are advancing from the stage of puberty.

President of Doctors Time-Out, Dr Osezua Oamen who led his team to the place, told journalists that their mission to the camp was part of the humanity services they render to mark the fourth year anniversary of the NGO.

He urged other individuals, corporate organisations, government and others to do more for the facility.

He said; “What made us to come here to mark our fourth year anniversary is because of the unpalatable situation here. Most of the children are orphans, some have parents, some don’t even know where their parents are so the situation is quite disheartening.

“Being doctors, we are humanists and this is one charitable work that we do. In this place, they need all the help they can get so when we did a need assessment, we said in our little way we are doing self-funding for now.

“We will come here and pick eight persons; four in the primary school and four in the secondary school made up of two boys and two girls in each category and decided to from now on take care of their schooling.

“Tuition fee here is free but we want to be responsible for their books, uniform, sandals and other needs in their education, and we hope to take them to the tertiary education so that they can achieve whatever potentials they have.
“Government cannot do it alone. We appeal to organisations and individuals who can pick one child and take care of the person’s need.”

Representative of the camp, Pastor Evelyn Onigie lauded the initiative of the doctors but appealed for more support from the public.

She said: “Thank God for de-worming these children. As I am talking to you now, we don’t have anti-malaria drugs. We don’t have antibiotics. You can see a lot of young girls here need sanitary pads.

“We need soap for bathing, as well as disinfectants everything that is good for people out there are needed here. We appeal to people, individuals, NGOs, churches to come and help us.”

Related Articles