DUFUHS Staff Applaud Uneke’s Health Initiative
By Enyinna Omoke, Abakaliki
Academic and non-academic staff of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Uburu, Ebonyi State, have commended the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jesse Uneke, for initiating a health talk and medical exercise aimed at promoting routine health checks and healthier lifestyles among members of staff.
The exercise, held at the Department of Radiology of the university, attracted a large number of teaching and non-teaching staff, who participated in health education sessions and blood pressure monitoring.
Speaking during the exercise, Mr. Mba Chinekwu Eusebius described the initiative as beneficial, saying it provided staff with an opportunity to ascertain their health status and learn practical ways of managing their wellbeing.
“I feel very honoured and happy about this medical exercise because it helps me to know my health status and how to manage it. I am satisfied with this health talk and want to appreciate the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jesse Uneke, for this wonderful initiative,” he said.
Another staff member, Mr. Ngene Friday Ekwemchi, also commended the initiative and urged the university management to institutionalise the exercise as a regular programme.
“The medical exercise is a good one. It is nice to have this kind of exercise once in a while because it gives us the opportunity to check our health status and know what to do at every given time to avoid emergencies,” Ekwemchi said.
He expressed the hope that the programme would not be a one-off exercise but would become a routine health initiative for staff, describing it as a noble intervention by the Vice-Chancellor.
Similarly, Mr. Ambros Okwuta described the health talk as educative and revealing, particularly because it afforded staff the opportunity to monitor their blood pressure.
“Many staff do not know their health status if not for this exercise. It will be better if it is a continuous exercise,” he said.
Explaining the rationale behind the programme, the Head of the Department of Physiology, Dr. Mrs. Ada Eke Akwari, said the exercise formed part of a research project on lifestyle modification and blood pressure monitoring among academic and non-academic staff of the university.
Akwari explained that the research was prompted by concerns that workers in academic environments often become preoccupied with their professional responsibilities and consequently neglect routine health checks.
“Most blood pressure checks are carried out only when someone is already ill and is taken to the hospital. People do not voluntarily check their blood pressure, and this continues to affect their cardiovascular health,” she said.
According to her, the research would generate baseline data on the blood pressure profile of DUFUHS staff while encouraging them to adopt routine blood pressure monitoring.
She added that staff found to have elevated blood pressure would be advised to seek appropriate medical evaluation and follow-up, while those already on medication would be encouraged to continue adhering to their prescribed treatment.
Akwari said the broader objective was to establish the blood pressure profile of university staff and provide evidence-based guidance on healthier living through lifestyle modifications, including regular physical exercise, improved nutrition and other healthy practices.
She expressed optimism that the initiative would strengthen health awareness and contribute significantly to the overall wellbeing and productivity of staff of the university.
