According to reports by Daily Trust, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has directed the state’s Ministry of Health to implement free quarterly health checks for all citizens across the eight Local Government Areas.
Governor Diri announced the directive on Sunday during a special thanksgiving service for the Ebedaowei of Kolokuma Kingdom, King Mozi Agara, held at Saint John’s Anglican Church in Olobiri, Kaiama, located within the Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area.
Improving Healthcare Accessibility
The governor explained that the initiative aims to help citizens who cannot otherwise afford medical care to access services at government-owned secondary health facilities throughout the state.
“I hereby direct the Honourable Commissioner for Health to commence a free health check across Bayelsa State, in all our secondary healthcare facilities across our different local government areas. This is particularly for those that are unable to afford it. They should go for free medical checkup, which should be quarterly so that the place will not be congested,” Governor Diri stated.
He noted that the quarterly schedule will allow the ministry to maintain a register tracking screenings for conditions such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and cancer, which he highlighted as an increasingly prevalent concern. “As a government, we cannot be silent on the issue of cancer. We cannot close our eyes as if we are not seeing what it is doing to our people,” he added.
Residents have been urged to utilize the opportunity by visiting their closest secondary health centers. The Commissioner for Health is expected to release further details and announcements regarding the schedule.
Additional Directives and Church Service
During the event, Governor Diri praised traditional rulers as vital custodians of peace, order, and dispute resolution, emphasizing that they deserve greater recognition for their community contributions. He also directed the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure to submit plans for the rehabilitation of deplorable sections of the road from the Kaiama bridge.
The thanksgiving service featured a sermon titled “The Supremacy of God,” delivered by the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Northern Izon, Rt. Rev. Funkuro Amgbare, who celebrated the recovery of King Mozi Agara from a prior health condition.