By Pius Dukor,
Port Harcourt.
As the World marks malaria day across the globe, the Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Prof. Issaic Zeb-Obipi said henceforth staff of the institution will run a free medical check up on their birthday to ascertain their health condition as motivation within the workplace.
Prof. Zeb-Obipi made the commitment during the celebration of world malaria day at the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt over the weekend which also coincided with the walk for life programme of the University.
The Vice Chancellor explained that the incentive would also assist management staff to know their health status so that they can respond to treatment where neccessarry as most people did not know the illness or ailment they have until diagnosis and checks are conducted, noting that this will save many people from sudden sickness.
Speaker further, he said the comprehensive medical check up for staff is very vital saying that this is in tandem with management by working the floor policy, where policies are product of interaction between management and staff and you see the gap and the problem they are going through and you make a pronouncement in that regard, saying that the medical unit will open a data base where workers will come to the medical centre to obtain free comprehensive medical check up.
The VC maintained that management staff spend much time in sitting at workplace which will not help the body system but to be effective as an academics it is good to blend the two to have both excise mix with work since much people spend much time in their workplace. ” It is good that once a while they should also excise, hence the monthly excise is a good development that will improve their health and well being”. he said.
Speaking on the World malaria day, the Director of Health Services of the University, Dr. Dagogo Cookey-gam stated that the event is to remind us on how we have not been able to conquer malaria especially the pregnant women, the children and the elderly. The women situation is stuff when they are pregnant because their immune system drop and for the children is also dangerous in the name of fever leading to convulsion, he said.
He adviced that people should not take take malaria drug off the canter without testing saying such can lead to resistance to drug.
Also Speaking, Dr. Preye Olisa, a medical Doctor with the University explained that malaria is not new to the people as it is one of the common disease as a parasite it transmitted by mosquitoes bite, with symptoms of headache, pains, fever and join pain among others.
Dr. Olisa told the University community to go to the hospital if they suspect maralia as buying malaria drug off canter could be detrimental to their health. He said maralia is the leading cause of death in Africa where over 95 percent died especially the children, while tasking all to clean their environment to reduce it availability and also the use of mosquitoes net and insecticide is key.
Highligh of the event was the walk for life programme, participated by the Vice Chancellor and other Head of Department and management staff as the walk covered 2.5 kilometre, with aerobic excise and health talk. This year’s World malaria day is tagged” Malaria Ends with us: Reinvest, Reimagine and Reignite .
There was free malaria testing and trestment.
