Residents receive free medical treatment in Cross River.

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Over 500 residents of Cross River State have benefitted from a free medical treatment sponsored by the National Association of Seadogs (NAS) in the state.

The residents, comprising the elderly, middle-aged women, men, and young children, converged on the grounds of the Comprehensive Secondary School, Idundun in Akpabuyo local government area, to access the free medical services.

One of the beneficiaries, an elderly woman, Affiong Ekpo, who could barely walk, expressed her gratitude to the association, saying, “This is indeed an answer to my prayers for medical aid; that I am opportune to partake of the free treatment is wonderful.”

Another resident, Mr. James Umoren, also commended the association, saying, “What this means is that the people, especially those who cannot afford treatments and those rejected by their family because they do not have money, have been given the opportunity to seek medical treatment at no charge at all. This is a big kudos to NAS.”

The clan head of the Ukpong Atai community, Etinyin Robert Archibong, expressed his profound gratitude to the association for choosing to provide free healthcare services to people within the area. “I am so happy to have this medical mission and thank the National Association of Seadogs for choosing to hold its free services in our community. I am appealing that the next mission should still be here. I am ever ready to provide the space to host their medical mission,” he appealed.

In a brief remark, the National President of the association, Dr. Joseph Oteri, explained that it was customary for its members to undertake humanitarian projects and services across communities. “What NAS stands for is to support humanity and the less privileged. So, when we hold our quarterly meeting, we include these kinds of support as part of our activities. We identify and select any community that we feel is not receiving adequate health support from government and ensure we give the people the medical services and care they need,” he said.

Dr. Oteri also hinted that NAS was providing a borehole to give the existing primary healthcare facility within the area and people in the surrounding premises access to potable drinking water. “This medical mission was supposed to be held on the premises of the Primary Healthcare Centre Idundu. But we were informed that the facility had no good water supply. So, we immediately commissioned a contractor to provide a functional borehole to fulfil that essential need,” he added.

The leader of the NAS medical team, Dr. Charles Odemene, told journalists that 20 different medical doctors from within the association, with the support of other healthcare providers, volunteered for the mission.

Meanwhile, the association held the 16th edition of the Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, where the former Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property, Okoi Obono-Obla, gave the keynote speech on the theme: “Sink or Swim? Nigeria’s Future and the Impact of Corruption on the Socio-political Economy of Nigeria.

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