The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has commenced Free Medical Mission in rural areas in Cross River State and plans to treat 3,500 rural dwellers.
Speaking at the outreach at the General Hospital, Akamkpa Local Government Area, South Senatorial district of Cross River, the Director NDDC on Education, Health and Social Services, Dr George Uzonwanne, said the programme is part of the commission’s intervention in the Niger Delta region on healthcare. According to him, the medical mission would treat patients with different ailments and surgical operations.
The NDDC Director, who emphasised that the mission was facilitated by the senator representing the Southern senatorial district, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong said: “We have a team that will look after the patients until they are discharged. There will be cases that will not be treated in this facility because this is a secondary facility. We have a referral system where the consultants will refer them for treatment in our tertiary facilities.”
Asuquo said the choice of the rural area for the medical mission was to provide free healthcare to the poor and those who do not have the logistics to go to Calabar for medical treatment.
Commending NDDC and Senator representing the constituency, the Clan Head of Akamkpa Town, HRH, Ntufam Paul Okon Ntui, said.
We feel happy that our people will be treated free and surgeries will be done on those that do not have money to go to hospitals.”
The Clan Head who represented the Paramount Ruler, HRM Obol Agbor Ewa, however, appealed to the government to intervene in the bad state of the general hospital in Akamkpa.
