– A young lady in Delta state, Queen Wanda Monye, is vigorously sensitising women and other Delta people on the need to take health issues seriously
– She was at one of the biggest markets in Asaba, Ogbeogonogo market on a campaign to sensitise market men and women on high blood pressure
– Over 410 market men and women were tested and recommended for further medical attention at the state general hospitals
For the past five months, youngest queen in Delta state, Queen Wanda Monye, has been on a vigorous health campaign across Edo and Delta states. Her interest, in her language, is to help the people, some of whom are not aware or are aware but shove the consequence of their nonchalance attitude away with a wave of the hand.
Through her pet project, Candle Light Foundation, she has reached to children in internally displaced people’s camp in Edo state. She has also administered free health to the aged men and women in Ika area of Delta state.
A graduate of health technology, Queen Monye said her interest in people’s health is born out of her love for people and the desire to see people healthy and sound in body. According to her: “A lot of people are aware of this little health challenges. But most times, they don’t take it seriously, they see it as a trivial issue.
Youngest Delta queen, Wanda Monye, takes health campaign to market women. In the market, she is addressing women on high blood pressure and other health issues
“I just want to raise more awareness on health in partnership with world health organization. So, basically, it is to create awareness on people’s health and why people should give attention to their health, even the most infinitesimal issue affecting their health is important it be given attention.
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“I have interest in health matters because I attended a health school. I graduated from school of health technology. It is easier for me because I’m more inclined to health matters. It is my interest and I love it.”
The young lady who was crowned queen over the past two years, told ZENITHBLOG.com in Asaba that some people are just ignorant of their health, “they may just decide to say it doesn’t matter. They trivialize many of these things. So, we just feel like we should help them, it will be in memory that a beauty queen did something like this in Asaba on such a day.”
She said health is important, no matter how busy one may be, it is necessary to pay attention to how our health works so as not to die unannounced because every individual has a future to pursue and little health issues should not be allowed to cut big dreams short.
Some of the health personnel attending to a lady at the market square in Asaba
Monye spoke to ZENITHBLOG.com at Ogbeogonogo market in Asaba, one of the largest markets in Delta state. At the market, she invited health professionals in partnership with power oil and the state ministry of health. The major business of the day was to carry health check on hypertension, body mass and weight where over 410 market men and women were attended to by the health practitioners.
She said her pet project, Candle Light Foundation, organized the event in partnership with power oil and the state ministry of health. She said she collaborated with the two bodies to create opportunity for either the poorest of the poor or the ignorant ones to have access to health care. This, she said, was one of the reasons she held the event at the open market square.
For her, the open market square will create opportunity for all classes of people to be attended to, since it does not affect their business transaction and does not take their time. Her main concern, she explained, is offering charity to either the less privileged or the ignorant, the youths with special focus on developing and empowering the youths, a group which she belongs in society.
The market women being attended to by a health personnel
“We have created awareness and we are satisfied we are making impact in people’s lives. Sometimes I get my little money involved because I desire good health for our people. I’m passionate about it and I’m ready to pursue it,” Wanda, who was crowned queen of Ika land last two years, revealed.
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Representative of power oil, Akpoyemi Awojobi, said his firm collaborated with the young queen to make impact in Delta state. He said power oil has made presence in 14 states but “we want to collaborate with the queen because she is currently doing health camp in the state and we don’t have such avenue in Delta. So, we feel that collaborating with her and the ministry of health will help this project go a long way in the state.
“It will touch more lives and give free medical care to more people. Power oil has no cholesterol and low fat. We are currently preaching low cholesterol to people. We are partnering with Queen Wanda Monye to make her project a bigger one.
“We have certified doctors, we have products for everybody. We check the people’s blood pressure. We also have a pulse machine that checks the pulse level. This will help people in Delta live happy lives,” Awojobi said.
Youngest Delta queen, Wanda Monye, takes health campaign to market women
Awojobi explained that no matter how rich someone may be, if the individual falls sick and ignores it or fails to handle it properly, the individual is gone. He said hypertension is rampant everywhere. It affects the rich and the poor. For him, people should be involved in regular exercise, people should manage stress especially at work place.
Delta state commissioner for health, Nicholas Azinge, commended the efforts of the queen who summoned the courage to put the event together for the benefit of the people. Represented by his special assistant, Chukwube Okugoni, the commissioner said one of the problems of people is trivializing the issue of health.
He said: “You may be healthy as you are but hypertension does not give warning before it knocks you down. Knowing what your blood pressure is, is very important.” He said the major role of the ministry of health is facilitating the treatment of people who are found to be having high reading of blood pressure. This is because the event is specially organized to check blood pressure as most common issue among people.
He told ZENITHBLOG.com that if anyone is found with high level blood pressure, they make referral to the state’s health centres and the general hospitals for free treatment. The ministry of health links them to these available government facilities. This is to make them easily have access to the centres.
Representative of the state commissioner for health, Dr. Chekwube Okoguni, testing one of the market women
For him: “People should not wait for this type of programme before checking their blood pressure and other health issues. It is important that whenever there is slight discomfort, we listen to a health practitioner. Rather than listening to those who advertise on radio. It’s important to talk one on one with a nurse or a doctor in recognized private or public facilities.”
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Commissioner for women affairs, Omatsola Williams, who was represented by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Thompson Onije, said hypertension is dangerous and a silent killer. She said for the massive awareness on hypertension, it shows that people are in tune with the dangers of the ailment.
For 24-year-old queen to engage in such venture, she said: “It is people like this that inspire the world, it’s not like some other people don’t have the idea. But she was bold enough to come out and let people become aware of this kind of thing. It shows she is bold, determined, insightful and forward looking. If she continues like this, honestly speaking, the sky is her limit.”
One of the market women who participated in the test, Mrs. Augustina Ilona, expressed happiness at the exercise. She said she was told to see a doctor for treatment as she has high blood pressure. She explained that since she was born, she had not checked her blood pressure, noting that it has affected her once which would have had dangerous effect on her. She said she sells doughnut with which she treks from one end of the market to the other.
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