6th December, 2023
By Ehigimetor Igbaugba
The Nigerian Navy has offered medical support to a community in Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River as part of its corporate social responsibility.
The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Olusola Oluwagbire, inaugurated the free medical outreach at Ine-Utang Day Spring Peninsula, on Wednesday.
Represented by the commander, NNS Victory, Cmdr Vicent Gbaranwi, the FOC said that the community was selected because it has no health centre to cater to the health care needs of residents.
“You can see the level of destitution here and this is what prompted us to come home today for this free medical rhapsody.
“Medical services may not be topmost in their needs right now; you can see that they are struggling to survive. We will continue to do our best for the people as we have started with this,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the community also has no school, water or electricity.
Similarly, Capt. Dominica Adenayo, Commandant of the Naval Referral Hospital Calabar, said the exercise would create awareness of the need for the people to care for themselves.
“We must know that prevention is better than cure and for that, we will be carrying out tests on malaria, eyes, hepatitis B and C screening, Blood sugar check, HIV screening and blood pressure check.
“We are also giving out free glasses, insecticide-treated nets and other consumables,” Adenayo said.