Members of the National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) have carried out a medical outreach to over 500 folks at Egini community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State.
The programme, tagged NAS Medical Mission and held at the weekend, was a prelude to the NAS 2024/25 Quarter 1 Pyrates Working Committee meeting held in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area,
The medical outreach provided essential healthcare services to residents of the community.
No fewer than 500 patients were attended to and given medications at the Primary Healthcare Centre at Egini.
Simultaneously, the association’s medical team referred some of the patients with critical cases to the Central Hospital in Warri for proper medical attention.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, President-General of Egini, Dolor Patrick, said the residents of Egini were grateful for the outreach.
He noted that it saved them transportation costs and provided quality care at their doorsteps.
“To access medical service at the General Hospital costs about N600 just on transport. NAS’s presence here saves us that expense,” he said.
Mama Joy Onogharefe, a resident treated for typhoid and malaria, expressed gratitude, saying, “The treatment was free, thanks to NAS. I was previously asked to pay N25,000 elsewhere, but today, I got it all here without charge,” she said.
NAS First Mate and Chief Administrative Officer, Dr Kenechukwu Eneli, who led the outreach, emphasised the organisation’s commitment to impacting lives at every stop.
He said: “Today, we are here in Egini to bring healthcare directly to the people because our organisation exists to assist those in need and amplify voices that may otherwise go unheard.”
Eneli, a US-based medical practitioner, explained that “the outreach offered free diagnosis, treatment and referrals, targeting conditions like hypertension, diabetes and malaria.”
Also, NAS’s Second Mate and Chief Programmes Officer, Chief Bart Akelemor, a UK-based healthcare professional, highlighted the broader mission behind the medical outreach, stating, “Our medical mission began in 2010 to provide healthcare support to rural communities lacking access to medical facilities.
In the same vein, the NAS Medical Pyrate leader of the medical team, Dr Odoemena Chiazor, noted that severe cases were referred to Warri’s Central Hospital.
Chiazor further called on the government to strengthen primary healthcare facilities.
On his part, the chairman, Udu Local Government Area, Vincent Oyibode, commended NAS for its intervention, underscoring its value to the community.
Oyibode urged residents to utilise the programme and expressed gratitude for NAS’s support.
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