It was a week of joy, as 3,853 people received free medical services at a 5-day medical mission conducted in Bakana, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State from May 20 – 24, 2019 by the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation.

The outreach, the 32nd of its kind to be fielded by the Foundation, is tailored to tackle the most vexing health challenges faced in rural and peri urban areas across the Niger Delta by giving access to quality medical services through pop-up missions across the Niger Delta. Clinics included Pediatrics, Optometry/Ophthalmology, Dental, Physiotherapy and surgery. Treatments included 156 Dental, 165 Physiotherapy, 113 Surgeries, of which 56 were herniorrhaphy and 43 eye surgeries.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on Dr. (Mrs.) Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs, the Chairman of the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation, recalled that High Chief (Dr.) O.B. Lulu-Briggs, for whom the Foundation is named, believed in the living having abundant life.

She said, “In 2014 at the commissioning of one of many health facilities the High Chief (Dr.) O.B. Lulu-Briggs supported in his lifetime, he stated that, “Even if it is just one life we can save, or one person’s pain we can alleviate, it is a good beginning. And the more people and organizations that can provide similar services, the more people we can help collectively.

“Working in partnership with other organizations in the government, non-government, private sector, and academic sectors is one of the secrets to our success. The power of strategic collective engagement on common issues, as espoused by High Chief (Dr.) O.B. Lulu-Briggs, is demonstrated and affirmed by the cooperation which has made this medical mission possible. We would like to use this opportunity to invite you all to join forces with us on this or any of our other initiatives.”

Dr. Mrs. Lulu-Briggs was represented at the mission by the Foundation’s Director of Programmes, Mrs. Ineba Ideriah Tongkam. The Bakana Medical Missions Team comprises 150 medical and 20 non-medical volunteers, including a team lead by Dr. Sobomabo Lawson from the Kalabari National Association Inc, USA, KNA-USA, who partnered with the Foundation on this mission.

Dr. Lawson, said: “The Kalabari National Association is grateful to the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation and other supporting bodies for bringing succor to the people of Bakana town.”

On his part, Professor Victor Dappa thanked the Foundation for its longstanding support for the community and others like it across the Niger Delta. He prayed the Foundation to return in shortest time.

Michael Braide, one of the patients, appreciated the Foundation for their giant strides in helping the needy in the society and prayed God to increase their strength.

In addition to its medical missions programme, in the health sector, the Foundation has amongst others, constructed, equipped and donated a
NGN50 million Health Center to the University of Port Harcourt. And it has
also donated funds for research on Parkinson’s Disease to the Rochester Research Institute in New York and to the Virginia Keiley Benefaction of the University College Hospital London.

In partnership with specialists, the Foundation also carried out awareness raising programs on the following non-communicable diseases: Parkinson’s disease (2010), Prostate Cancer (2016), Kidney Disease and Diabetes(2018).

The Port Harcourt based O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation, a non-partisan,non-governmental organization was established in 2001. Its mission is to
implement sustainable interventions that enhance the quality of life for under-served persons. The Foundation’s other programmes are: Care for
Life, also popularly called Care for the Elderly; Access to clean water &Sanitation; Education & Scholarship, and Micro-credit &Entrepreneurship.

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