Navy promises collaboration on health, sanitation with C'River communities

NAN

The Nigerian Navy has promised to collaborate with Crosss River communities, especially their host communities, in the provision of health and sanitation services.

The Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory (NNS Victory) Commodore Rotimi Oderemi stated this on Monday during a one-day free medical rhapsody at Esuk Mba community in Akpabuyo Local Government Area.

He said that the need for the collaboration is because of the premium placed on health and sanitation for humans to live well and be functional in the society.

He noted that most of the rural dwellers who are economically disadvantage because of their location, needed all the collaboration and support they could get.

The NNS Victory commander noted that this was the Nigerian Navy own way of giving back to the society.

"We have been doing this and will surely continue to carryout this excise to ensure the well being of our people.

"We understand the health challenges many of our people in the rural areas area faced with and our own is to offer this support as a way of giving back to the society.

"We have here professionals in various field of medicine to take care of their health needs," he state. On his part, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Calabar, Capt.

Simon Ocholi, noted that any ailment that could not be taken care of during during rhapsody will be referred to the naval hospital.

In his address, the Paramount Ruler of Akpabuyo, Etintin Francis Efa, commended the Navy for the free medical exercise and called for support to arrest the challenges of insecurity in the area. 

According to him, "I am excited with what you are doing here today and can only appeal for more of this exercise to be carried our regularly, maybe twice a year.

"The reason for this demand is because the only health facility available to the people is not anyway closeby and you know what that means when urgent medical attention is needed."

Simirlarly, Mr Bassey Effiong Bassey, nember representing Akpabuyo in the state House of Assembly, appealed to the Navy to also extend their support to Akpabuyo in the area of insecurity.

"While we appreciate your love to ensuring that our people remain healthy, but we also need this support to combat the security challenge in Akpabuyo that have remain so for a very long time.

"As we speak, the means of livelihood have been taken away from our youths by the militants that regularly attack the area.

"My people can no longer go the river to fish or farm because of this challenges.

"We know that the state government is trying its best to arrest this, and we also understand that the Navy is also being limited by logistics problem, but we are appealing for more effort to stop this menace," he noted.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the people where treated on various ailment such as nalaria, free eye and delta care, and sugar test. Free eye glasses, tooth paste and brush, mosquito nets, and various medicines were also given out during the exercise.