More than 300 Cameroonian refugees and members of their host communities have received free medical services from the Nigerian Red Cross Society in partnership with Cross River State.
The beneficiaries, who are resident in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, south-south Nigeria received services ranging from blood sugar level check, optometry, blood pressure check, dental care, children immunizations and Covid-19 vaccination.
Sensitisation
Addressing the refugees prior to the exercise, the Director of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Janet Ekpenyong encouraged the people including the host community to patronise the newly constructed and equipped health centre in their locality.
Ekpenyong, who condemned the practice of self-medication amongst the people, advised them to imbibe healthy living and lifesaving habits.
“I urge you to observe simple etiquettes of good living. It is important that you eat balanced diets, which does not need plenty money to eat healthy because all around us here are fresh fruits and vegetables.”
“You must learn to rest well. Some of you sleep for less than five hours daily and it is not good for the body. Do not engage in heavy drinking, smoking and go for regular health checkup and maintain good personal hygiene,” she stressed.
The Director General thanked the Nigerian Red Cross Society for partnering with the State Government on healthcare delivery to the host communities besides the refugees.
“The Nigerian Red Cross recently became the implementing partner for most of the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, interventions for the Cameroon refugees in Cross River State. As part of their interventions, decided to carry out in collaboration with the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency a medical outreach,” Ekpenyong said.
She further said, “recently, they helped to build a new health facility on Garden Street that would serve the refugees and the host community and we had to use this medical outreach to reintroduce the facility to the refugees and the community. It was one of those high impact interventions to see that those who are sick are cared for.”
A representative of the Nigerian Red Cross Society said that the organisation was pleased with the response of the state government to the general health of the people and magnanimity towards the refugees, which prompted the collaboration to offer free health services.
One beneficiary, Matilda Obiang thanked the state government for the safety and peace they now enjoy devoid of any form of discrimination and applauded the Nigerian Red Cross for the free healthcare services.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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