The Nigerian Navy Ship(NNS) PATHFINDER has carried out medical outreach in at Opobo/Nkoro council of Rivers State as a way to foster cordial Civil-Military relations in the state.

Flagging off the health outreach, themed: “Free Medical Rapsody”, held at Opobo General Hospital, on Saturday, the Commander of NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Desmond Igbo, in his remarks noted that the medical outreach is one of the Chief of Naval Staff(CNS)’s Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla’s initiatives to promote public health in host communities of Navy establishments.

“This is the effort of Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla in promoting public health and also in promoting Military-Civil relationships.

” The CNS deemed it very important to extend his efforts in public health to the good people of Opobo kingdom today because as a responsible organisation, the Nigerian Navy found it very important to improve the health of our host communities in areas of their health and also on other issues such as ensuring that the people live in peace and harmony.

“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 has establishments.”

Igbo noted that the outreach covers over 1000 beneficiaries, adding that a series of medical checks such as deworming and vaccination of children, free dental checks, body vital inspection and eye checks for both young and elderly will go a long way to helping address health issues in the council area.

“Estimated beneficiary is 1000 people and even more because we have enough medical supplies to go around and we are giving them free drugs, eye examination and glasses, treated mosquito nets, blood pressure and blood sugar testing and dental services because we have experts and qualified doctors from Nigeria Navy to perform these treatments,” he added.

Earlier, the Amayanabo of Opobo, King Dandison Jaja, said the council area needs more medical presence, saying the entire area is faced with health challenges due to its riverine terrain.

Represented by Dr Dienye Bell-Gam, a title citizen of Opobo, Jaja said accessing medical facilities in the area is cumbersome for residents living in seemingly inaccessible places, pointing out that the area needs water ambulances for medical emergencies and medical posts for residents in satellite communities.

” We have a lot of health problems in our area because of our environment and we also have satellite communities and we need a medical presence in those areas, especially medical posts and our request to the government is that we want water ambulance because there are a lot of medical emergencies that have led to deaths in many cases and we also have had to reach areas that are waterlogged, ” He said.

However, the Medical Director of Opobo General Hospital, Dr Deekia Banks Lebari expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Navy, saying they have impressed the hospital community and the people of Opobo Kingdom.

Also, some beneficiaries said they were marvelled by the gesture saying the Military connection to public health care in communities of the Niger Delta region is a welcomed development.

A beneficiary, Florence Okoro, Septuagenarian, Said: “I was okay but as I became old, I started experiencing eye problems. I could not see clearly and I could not read my Bible as usual. The beauty of a human being is the eyes.

The concerns I have about my eye have been 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,” she said.