MEMA Tribute Foundation has taken a bold step to fight hypertension which is responsible for an estimated 45% and 51% of deaths caused by heart diseases and stroke respectively around the world.
The Foundation organized a program to sensitize the people of Obiakabor Ohohia Mbieri in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State on the dangers posed by both low and high blood pressure, in a free medical outreach held on Saturday, April 3, 2021, at the community.
They designed a triangular module for the program which achieved teaching, checking of blood pressure, and offering free treatment for more than 60 participants who attended the program.
Speaking to newsmen at the program, Dr. Chidinma Onweni one of the co-founders of the foundation said that hypertension is a silent killer which most people are not aware of, adding that most victims parade as healthy until they break down or lose their lives.
‘Today we are here to teach about hypertension. Hypertension is a very silent killer because you can’t really see the damages that is being done physically’
‘Some people think they are feeling okay even though their blood pressure is high; until you don’t wake up in the morning or you wake up with brain bleed or stroke or a heart attack’
“This is a really bad disease that I really want to shine a light on” the United States of America-based physician said.
Also speaking, her sisters who are also co-founders of the foundation said, MEMA represents ‘Me and My Mother’ and their programs are tributes to their father, brother, and aunt who lost their lives due to poor healthcare facilities and medical negligence.
“What we are trying to do is to help those who are in medical need; who in one way or the other cannot afford a regular checkup”
“A lot of people die out of carelessness because of high blood pressure,” Mrs. Chinyere Nina Onweni Agwunobi said.
“The program gives us an opportunity to spend quality time with our people’
“What we’re doing will get to other communities, but we wanted to start it up in our hometown. Our people need to be in good health and for us at MEME Tribute Foundation, every life is worth saving”, Lady Ngozi Stephany Onweni, United Kingdom-based Solicitor said.
Hon. Bobby Michaels who was also present at the event commended the Onweni sisters for the work they are doing, adding that it is good for them to come back to give back to the society they have come from.
“They are doing this all the way from the United States of America which is quite commendable. They had to come all the way to give back to their society; to the society where they came out from” the Special Adviser on Entertainment to Imo State Governor, said.
The participants were overjoyed as they showered praises on the Onweni sisters for teaching and treating them at the program.
“I am so glad that something like this came to our community”, Mrs. Ann Nwoke, one of the participants said.
Another said that she will use the knowledge from the program to help herself and others around her to ensure they are healthy and free from hypertension.
MEMA Tribute Foundation has www. tribute-foundation.org and info@tribute-foundation.org as their official website and email respectively.
