No fewer than 500 persons in Calabar have benefitted from the free medical services and drugs from the National Association of Seadogs (NAS).
The service was carried out on Friday at the Primary Healthcare Centre in Ikot Ansa, Calabar, in line with the Association’s Health Mission.
The National President of NAS, Mr Kwaghbunde Gbahabo, who spoke through the National Secretary, Mr John Nya, said they have been conducting such services for the past 10 years from the contributions of their members.
He said that the gesture was to complement the efforts of the government, adding that the outreach was part of the Association’s Corporate Social Responsibility.
He stressed that more groups should emulate them as government alone cannot completely undertake medical services to the people.
Secretary of the health committee of NAS, Dr Odoemene Chiazor, said about N3 million has been sunk into the Calabar medical mission.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the medical services include free eye check and distribution of glasses, diabetes and prostate cancer checks, high blood pressure, free drugs, malaria test among others.
NAN also reports that the medical experts who volunteered their services came from the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital as well as the state government Primary Healthcare Development Centre, Ikot Ansa.
One of the beneficiaries from the community, Mrs Juliet Okon, 60, who got free eyeglasses after check-up, commended the effort of the Association.
Okon called on other groups to emulate NAS by conducting regular medical outreach to promote healthy living.