On New Year’s Day, Hundreds of patients and members of the public in Rivers State and Cross River State benefited from an outreach organised by First On-Call Initiative (FOCI), a youth-led healthcare non-profit.

The Executive Director of FOCI, Dr Faithful Daniel, while addressing newsmen, remarked that “the outreach was conceived to enable patients on admissions to join in the yuletide season, even while receiving care and also members of the public on the streets.” He added that “our focus is on public health, we realise that living on the streets was a public health issue and we realised such outreaches can improve the mental health of those on admissions.” Patients received menstrual hygiene products, infant hygiene products, dental products, and mosquito nets. The outreach was held at the labour, postnatal and children’s emergency and surgical wards at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital. Patients in Obstetrics and Gynaecology wards, female orthopaedic wards, and female surgical wards of the U

Residents of Port Harcourt were also reached through an outreach at Mile 1 market, Portharcourt. Traders and persons living on the streets received medical awareness talks on diseases of public health importance, with packages and cash prizes.

Dr Nelson Emirene, the Public Relations Officer of the Association of Resident Doctors, RSUTH, while speaking to the press, said, “I appreciate the ARD RSUTH executives led by Dr Chris-Biriowu Harold and members for supporting the outreach by coming out en masse. He also appreciated the Executive Board of First On-Call Initiative for sponsoring the outreach in Rivers State”. Dr Nelson added that the State Commissioner of Health Dr Adaeze Oreh, and the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Chizindu Alikor, for endorsing the outreach. The Outreach at the two sites in Cross River State was coordinated by Dr Ewa Anthony and Vanessa Enyinnaya, the FOCI Project Coordinators in Cross River said patients were deeply appreciative of the care packages received. One of the patients on admission said, “It brings gladness to my soul to be remembered by the organisers, even as some of us on admission have been unable to join the celebrations with our facilities.”

The Chief Programmes and Strategy Officer of FOCI, Geneva Magsino, in delivering her remarks at the end of the outreach, appreciated all the executives and team members who made this possible, including the management of all three facilities for approvals and the Executives of ARD RSUTH. Dr Geneva “The year 2026, FOCI intend to strengthen its work on the ground in areas of clinical and community-based programs, research and training, and in health policy”.