Kwara-NMA Offers Free Medical Care, Drugs to Police Officers
By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kwara Chapter has offered free medical care and free drugs to the members of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) in Kwara.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the medical outreach are part of the activities organised for the 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Scientific Conference of the Association.
Dr Ola Ahmed, the Kwara-Chairman of the NMA, who spoke on the outreach that took place at the Police Cottage/Comprehensive Health Centre at Kulende, in Ilorin, explained that this is one of the ways to give back to the society.
He said: “since the inception of my administration, NMA has enjoyed a good relationship with the top hierarchy of the Nigeria Police, Kwara Command.
“We now decided to use the opportunity of our AGM to reach out to the other Officers and Men of the Command”.
According to him, the outreach is to help people solve some minor ailments, identify major ones that will require counselling and other management and refer appropriately.
He observed that things are difficult now and one of the ways the association helps the people is to carry out medical outreach for the citizens.
Ahmed urged people in Kwara to key into the Kwara State Health Insurance Scheme (Kwara Care) to mitigate the impact of economic hardship on their health.
“Kwara Care is affordable, available and accessible across the 16 Local Government Area of the state,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr Julius Dare, the Vice-Chairman 1, NMA-Kwara explained that during the medical outreach about 216 adults and 48 children were attended to, out of which 90 NPF were giving free healthcare and services.
He pointed out that the NMA chose to extend the medical outreach to the NPF so as to foster good relationship.
“We must say that we have enjoyed good relationship with the police. In a way, our roles are the same; we are involved in saving lives, the NPF also protect lives and properties.
“The medical outreach also afford opportunity to screen and improve the status of the health of the police.
“This is also an opportunity for us to reduce the global morbidity especially for non-communicable diseases which we have noticed to be on increase.
“Hopefully we can reach out to other agencies subsequently in our medical outreaches,” he said.
The medical expert disclosed that some of the health challenges recorded includes malaria, hypertension, diabetes, peptic ulcer diseases and musculo-skeletal pain generally associated with the elderly.
He advised the NPF and the generality of people that health is wealth, adding that everybody should take care of their health.
Dare observed that healthcare is not cheap in the country, and that people should be more involved in preventive health.
In his reaction, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, the Kwara Police Public Relations Officer commended the NMA for the medical outreach to members.
He described the relationship between the force and NMA as cordial, while appreciating the efforts of NMA, particularly the Chairman Dr Ola Ahmed.
“We have been working and collaborating together. The two of us are also working towards the same goals, although on different platforms.
“The NPF are saving lives and properties of the citizenry while the NMA are also protecting and saving lives,” he said.
Okasanmi also disclosed the force and the NMA will be engaged in a friendly football match to further foster stronger relationship together. (NAN)
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