BY JUDE OSSAI
The Civil Defense Officers Wives’ Association (CDOWA), Enugu State Chapter has offered comprehensive free medicare to 250 residents of Iva Valley Community in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The free medicare included: health talks, medical consultations, blood sugar, hypertension and eye check; free drugs, free eye glasses; deworming of children, giving of multivitamin supplements to the elderly and pregnant women among others.
Flagging off the Comprehensive Free Medicare on Saturday, the Chairperson of CDOWA Enugu State Chapter, Dr Josephine Willie, said that the exercise was to ensure that “the health of the people within the community is optimised.”
“We are here to ensure that we provide succour and relief especially to the indigents within the Iva Valley Community that might find it difficult to get a comprehensive health like the one been provided here today.
“As our husbands are providing protection to lives and property; we want to support them by providing protection healthwise to the people.
“This chapter is also supporting various free medicare and community support services undertaken by the National Chairperson of CDOWA, Hajiya Aishatu Audi,” she said.
The chairperson noted that there would be referral for those beneficiaries with complicated issues, adding that CDOWA would continue to carry out more community support services in various communities in the state.
“With the success of this free medicare as first programme of CDOWA Enugu State Chapter after its inauguration; CDOWA have come to stay and more humanitarian services will be rolled out with the support of our partners,” she said.
Corroborating, Dr Elijah Willie, the Commandant of Nigeria Security Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) Enugu State Command, said that the exercise and its health talk would benefit the people living in Iva Valley community as well as strengthen their health general.
Willie said that the exercise had further extended the National Chairperson of CDOWA, Hajiya Aishatu Audi, motherly and humanitarian touch on people and communities across the nation.
“This is a humanitarian service and a way of given back to the society in order to further support what my Corps Commandant-General, Dr Ahmed Audi, and Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State are doing to uplift the general well being of Nigerians.
“When our people are healthy, they will be productive and able to provide for themselves and their families; while crime and vices will also reduce when there is aggregate productivity,” he said.
On the International Women’s Day, the Commandant called on Nigerians to give resourceful and intelligent women a chance to excel to further better the society and make it work for all.
Responding, Chairman of Iva Valley community, Chief Uchenna Ugwu, appreciated CDOWA and NSCDC for the gesture and free medical counselling, tests and medication given to hundreds of the community member.
“We are appealing for more. The Nigerian Army and Police should also extend their humanitarian and community services to Iva Valley community for us to feel their impact better,” Ugwu said.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Evelyn Ani, diagnosed for malaria, thanked CDOWA for free drugs given to her and members of her family, adding: “The drugs given to us as a family running into thousands of naira, we cannot afford it.”
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