Navy provides free medical treatment, drugs to Plateau residents

The Nigerian Navy, through the Commander of the Ship Beecroft, has provided a free medical outreach for over 1,500 residents of Dadur Bwarat in the Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State. The free medical outreach included lab tests for different ailments, temperature and blood pressure and hepatitis B and C check, medical consultations, […]

The Nigerian Navy, through the Commander of the Ship Beecroft, has provided a free medical outreach for over 1,500 residents of Dadur Bwarat in the Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The free medical outreach included lab tests for different ailments, temperature and blood pressure and hepatitis B and C check, medical consultations, distribution of medicines and insecticide-treated mosquito nets for children and pregnant women, eye and dental checks, among others.

According to the Commander of the Navy Ship Beecroft, Commodore Paul Ponfa Nimmyel (who is the sponsor of the outreach) such outreach is vital in strengthening people’s health and well-being and giving back to his community.

Commodore Nimmyel, who was represented by Surgeon Lt Commander Francis Fuanbial, pointed out that the outreach brings to the fore the importance the Nigerian Navy places on Corporate Social responsibilities, which is one of their non kinetic approaches

“One of the non kinetic approaches of the Nigerian Navy is to do a medical outreach, which is also our corporate social responsibility.

“Langtang North is one of the places for such medical outreach, and the process is that we have to first collect the people/patients data so that we know how to them from one post to the order which caters for different ailment, treatment, testing, etc.

“After the which their temperature and blood pressure is checked to know the respiratory rate before seeing the doctor. The doctor will then refer you to either go and see the, Ophthalmologist, the dentist, the lab, etc. In the lab we have different investigations, like fasting blood sugar, random blood sugar, malaria parasite, hepatitis B and C, among others.

“We have various types of medications ranging from antibiotics, anti malaria, anti hypertension, eye drops for those people having eye conditions, glasses for reading, oral hypoxemic drugs, etc. We also attended to the pregnant women and children, whom we gave mosquito nets, and we have over 300 of them.

“We are treating and giving drugs to over 1,500 people in this community, and we have evaluation plan in place to monitor those treated. That is why we are taking their data in which are their phone numbers and addresses.

“So anybody that has any further issue would be referred to the nearby primary healthcare center or secondary health care center, and will now follow up again from there. We also follow up on those with chronic diseases,” he said.

He said they have over 20 doctors attending to the people, as well as over 15 nurses, dentists, five octomologists, 10 pharmacists and more than 20 ushers.

He asked the people to take the medications very seriously and warned against the taking of traditional medicines at the same time as they are taking their medication.

In her remarks, the Langtang North Council Chairman, Hon Pirfa Tyem, who was represented by his deputy, Mrs Deborah Dalen, commended the Navy for the outreach and pledged to continue partnering with all credible organizations with uplifting projects for the local government.

On his part, the traditional ruler of Bwarat community, Ponfa Bahal, urged the commodore and the Navy to continue with the good gesture, saying that is service to humanity and posterity will be kind to them.