Army provides free treatment to Akwa Ibom rural communities

The medical outreach of the army, which witnessed a large response from residents of the communities visited. Photo:NAN

The free treatment programme of the Nigerian army medical corps for rural communities in Akwa Ibom State has reached about 2000 people with different medical ailments in the state, the corps' Chief Consultant Ophthalmologist, Anthony Okpobrisi, has said.

The medical outreach of the army, which witnessed a large response from residents of the communities visited, covers medical cases ranging from eye to ear problems, typhoid/malaria, dental and other ailments.

Speaking yesterday in Ikono, one of the communities visited, Mr Okpobrisi, said the response from the people has been overwhelming.

Explaining that his team had already visited three communities comprising: Ukana in Essien Udim, Ikot Eboroeyen in Ikot Abasi and Ndiya in Nsit Ubium local government areas, the army brigadier-general, said members of the corps will continue to attend to all cases brought before them and would only leave the communities when the drugs they brought in are exhausted.

Overwhelming turn-out

He explained that the large turn out of the people was evident that they were in dire need of medical attention. "We have treated general body pains, headaches, hypertension, diabetics, eye problems- itching cataract and glaucoma. The ones we are not able to treat here, we refer them out to other places," he said.

"The items we brought, like the glasses, could not go round all the people we have seen. The number we are treating is improving every day. We treat as many people as come and until those drugs finish, we don't go away." In Ndiya, people whose eyes were tested either went away with drugs or eye glasses, while other cases of ailments were referred to the drug section where a crowd gathered, struggling to get their own share of drugs.

"The reception of the people is high and they are happy at what we are doing and wish we can come back next week. We cannot even cope with the number of people we are seeing, we did not know that the number would be this much" he said.