Over 100 journalists benefit From NUJ free medical outreach in Ebonyi
From Chinedu Nwafor, Abakaliki
No fewer than 100 Journalists in Ebonyi State have benefitted in free Medical outreach organized by the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists to mark her 2024 Press Week.
The event was organized by the Council in collaboration with the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Ebonyi State Chapter.
The outreach took place at the Council’s Secretariat,Dr Sam Egwu Press Centre, Abakaliki, on Wednesday.
The outreach was part of the activities lined up by NUJ to mark this year’s press week with the theme “The Media Admits Economic Uncertainty”.
The outreach centered on health talks, blood and sugar screening, hepatitis, oral care and treatment among others.
Over 30 journalists who have teeth-related problems were treated by a team of Dentists and counseled after the treatment.
Flagging off the outreach, the Director-General of Ebonyi Broadcasting Corporation (EBBC), Comrade Tony Nwizi, described the medical outreach as timely in view of the pressure journalists encounter in their duties which affects their health.
Nwizi who was the immediate past Chairman of the Council, also commended the Council for the initiative.
“It is good that journalists check our health status regularly because we work under pressure on a very intensive environment that we are always under pressure and because of that, it is necessary that we check our health from time to time .
“We have come today to check ourselves as part of the event to mark 2024 NUJ press week in the state council”, Nwizi stated.
The State Chairman of the union, Comrade Samson Nwafor, said the council included the outreach in the 2024 press week events because of the importance of health checks in the lives of the journalists because of the nature of journalism which makes the practitioners too busy to care for their health.
He opined that the free medical services would go along way in keeping the journalists fit for their duties.
Nwafor said: “this medical outreach was accommodated in this year’s press week of Ebonyi State council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to ensure that our members get checks about their health because our duty is such that keeps us away 24 hours and often times, we don’t have the time to go to the hospital to check ourselves, to do certain check ups.
“This is why we said that this year we must make it a point of duty to accommodate free medical outreach for our members and to God be the glory, Medical Women Association of Nigeria , Ebonyi State chapter led by Dr. Lillian Nwobashi, our sister, came through by collaborating with our council to ensure that this particular program is a success”.
Some of the Journalists who benefitted from the outreach including Comrade Amechi Odo, Inya Uchenna, Cynthia Egwu, Fortunate Ozo and former chairman of the Council, Comrade Godwin Okafor, among others, commended the Council for the initiative and urged that it should be sustained.
Health Personnel including the President Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Ebonyi State Chapter, Dr Mrs Lilian Nwobashi, took the Journalists on series of health talks aimed at sensitizing them on some health issues.
Nwobashi urged journalists to always go for medical checks to save them from health issues.
