Army provides free healthcare services to over 500 residents in Edo community

Medical personnel attending to patient at Ehor community in Uhunmwode local government during the still water 11 2022 medical outreach programme organized by  the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Benin City 

By Editor

Dec 16, 2022

The 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Benin City has provided free healthcare services to no fewer than 500 residents of Ehor community in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State.

Flagging off the health outreach programme  on Friday, the 4 Brigade Commander, Brig-Gen. Dalanmi Ndahi said the gesture was to foster the existing civil-military relationships between the two entities.

Ndahi, who said that the army was not oblivious of the high cost of assessing health care service in the state added that the programme was approved by the Chief of Army Staff for the Brigade to be part of exercise still water 11 2022 medical outreach programme.

While noting that the army valued the existing cordial relationship it enjoyed with its host communities in Edo, opined that the free medical outreach was another way to expressed its appreciation of bringing free health services to the doorstep of the people.

The Brigade commander, however, urged the people and those from the neighbouring communities to take advantage of the free health care service to seek medical examination and  treatment.

Earlier, the Enogie of Umopke, His Royal Highness, Chief David Ehigiamusoe, commended the army authority for the gesture.

Ehigiamusoe, who described the free medical health service delivery as novel noted that the massive turnout of the people to seek treatment was a testimony that the people had longed been expecting  gesture being brought to their doorstep free of charge by the army.

In her remarks, the Edo State Commissioner for Health, Prof.Obehi Akoria, described the event as  special.

"Today's event is special to us and the state government because the army is partnering with us to better the health service delivery system in the state", she said.

Akoria, represented by Dr Stanley Ehiarimwiam, the acting Permanent Secretary in the ministry also described the medical outreach as  laudable in spite of its statutory duties to protect the nation's territorial borders.

Officials of the 4 Brigade,Nigerian Army led by the Brigade Commander, Brig-Gen. Dalanmi Ndahi, Enogie of Umopke, His Royal Highness, Chief David Ehigiamusoe and others during the medical outreach programme.

"We appreciate this collaboration and encourage more stakeholders to key into such goodwill as government cannot do it alone, especially in the area of health care service delivery,"he added.

DailyMonitorngr reports that some of the patients in an interview expressed appreciations to the army authority for availing them the opportunity of assessing free health care service.

They  said the diagnosis, treatment and the dispensed drugs to them, were something they hadn't contemplated in their widest imagination. 

One of the beneficiaries, Pa. Osaro Ibude, 75, said "we see this free treatment and drugs from the army as a dream come true for us.

"We never thought the army can also provide such services to people until today because we have seen it. These are my drugs and others are being diagnosed and treated,"he added.