Rivers Community Hails  Navy over Free Medicare

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The people of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area in Rivers State have applauded the Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder for bringing free medical care to their area.

The Amayanabo of Opobo, King Dandeson Douglas-Jaja, who spoke yesterday during the free medical outreach that was held at Opobo Community General Hospital, expressed delight for the gesture by the military.

King Douglass-Jaja, who was represented by Dr. Dienye Bell-Gam, called on the government to extend their medical services to other satellite towns of Opobo.

He said: “We have a lot of health problems in our area because of our environment and we also have satellite communities and we need medical presence in those areas especially medical post.

“Let me also request to the government that we want water ambulance because there are a lot of medical emergencies that has led to deaths in many cases and we also have hard to reach areas that are waterlogged.” 

Also, the Medical Director of the General Hospital, Dr. Deekia Lebari, commended the military-civilian connection created as a result of the outreach, saying that the hospital community is happy with the Navy.

“The striking thing about this medical outreach is the military connection to public health care in communities of the Niger Delta region. Even though they have been holding it at several places to me, as a medical doctor working with the Rivers State Hospital Management Board, I am so excited because of the level of turnout today,” Labari stated.

One of the beneficiaries who had her eyes screened and given free glasses, Mrs. Florence Okoro, said the gesture has brought great relief to her.

Okoro said: “The concerns I have about my eye is over, I feel like Jesus has touched me. I am healed. Because they gave me eyeglasses and some eye drops which I will be using to apply to my eyes. I am thankful to the Nigerian Navy for this gesture.”

Declaring the outreach open, the Commander of NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Desmond Igbo, disclosed that the programme was one of the initiatives of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, in promoting public health and civil-military relationship.

Igbo said: “At the inception of his command, apart from ensuring safety on the waterways, he also planned to ensure that public health, especially where the navy establishments are; the people there also receive health assistance.”

He also explained that the outreach was meant to benefit over 1,000 persons with diverse ailments and assured that the medical outreach, which is a routine one, would be extended to other communities in the state.

He said: “Estimated beneficiary is 1000 people and even more because we have enough medical supplies to go round and we are giving them free drugs, eye examination and glasses, treated mosquito nets, blood pressure and blood sugar testing and dental services amongst others and our experts and qualified doctors from the Nigeria Navy are on ground to perform this treatments.”