…As varsity marks World Malaria Day
The Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi has said that henceforth, staff of the institution would run a free medical check up on their birthdays to ascertain their health condition as motivation for the workplace.
Prof. Zeb-Obipi made the promise during the celebration of world malaria day at the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, which also fell on the walk-for-life programme of the institution.
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 necessary 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 sicknesses.
He further said that the comprehensive medical check up for staff was very vital, and in tandem with management’s floor policy, where policies are product of interaction between management and staff to enable the management see the gap and the problem the staff are going through.
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The VC maintained that management staff spend much time in sitting at workplace which will not help the body system, and that to be effective as an academics, it was good to blend the two to have both exercise mixed with work since many people spend much time in their workplace.
“It is good that once a while they should also exercise, hence the monthly exercise 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, Dagogo Cookey-gam said that the event was to remind the workforce how the people have not been able to conquer malaria especially the pregnant women, the children and the elderly.
“The women situation is tough when they are pregnant because their immune system drops and for the children, it is also dangerous in the name of fever leading to convulsion,” he said.
Preye Oliseh, a medical doctor with the University, explained that malaria was not new to the people as it is one of the common diseases as a parasite transmitted by anopheles mosquitoes bite, with symptoms of headache, pains, fever, joint pain, among others.
Oliseh told the University community to go to the hospital if they suspect malaria as buying malaria drug off the counter could be detrimental to their health.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the walk-for-life, Prof. Joseph Vipene thanked the VC and management for supporting the monthly programme.
