Olusegun Olanrewaju
The National Association of Seadogs (NAS), also known as Pyrates Confraternity, has urged governments at all levels to pay special attention to the health needs of rural dwellers.
NAS Cap’n, Mr Abiola Owoaje, gave this charge while flagging off a free medical programme for residents of Abule-Ado, Soba, Oteyi, and Itogba communities in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The medical mission, which took place at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Primary Healthcare Centre in Abule-Ado, was part of activities to mark the third quarter Pyrates Working Committee (PWC) of the association’s 2022/23 calendar year.
No fewer than 300 residents in the communities benefited from the free medical checks ranging from high blood pressure, prostrate, malaria, typhoid fever, HIV/AIDS, eye challenges, and others.
According to Owoaje, rural dwellers do not enjoy the kind of health facilities available in urban centres hence the need to pay attention to the health care of rural communities through the provision of more PHCs to address the challenges.
He noted that the association has often deemed it imperative to carry out interventionist medical programme in rural communities to provide succour for indigent citizens.
Owoaje said, “This medical was put up by the National Association of Seadogs. We do this at least five or six times annually. What we do is to provide free medical care services to our community and we allow this to coincide with when we have our Annual General Meeting and quarterly general meeting which takes place in different parts of Nigeria.
“We do this in recognition that a lot of people have fallen out of the catchment nets in terms of the provision of basic healthcare facilities.
“We recognise the fact that much as the government would want to do want they do it is not possible for them to carry out all these intervention services to the communities. So, we would continue to do this and improve the services that we bring to the people.
“What we have also done is that in the course of providing these services, we have data on the kind of services that we provide and the kind of issues they are confronted with on the field. It builds up advocacy when we speak with the government to challenge why they are not providing these services. We also give suggestions on the best way forward.
“When people come in their vital statistics are taken and within the periods we would have a database of people who have medical needs, for instance in the area of high blood pressure, prostrate, malaria, typhoid, HIV/AIDS, eye challenges, and others. It gives us an avenue to advise the government on what is prevalent in the various communities. We provided deworming tablets, eyeglasses, malaria drugs, BP drugs, and prostate checks, among others.
“We provide our services in rural areas where it is a challenge for the government to be consistent in the service that they provide. Very often you find that people who are in the urban areas get healthcare services more than those in the rural areas. So, we keep advocating that government should not take their eyes off the rural communities.”
On the choice of Abule-Ado in Amuwo-Odofin LGA of Lagos State, the Head of NAS Medical Mission, Dr Uche Nwachukwu, said, “We normally have our quarterly general meetings and for this quarter it falls within this zone in the Festac area.
“The local branch went out to look for this community where they feel that they need assistance. In carrying out this survey they felt this community would need this assistance and that is why we are here.”
One of the beneficiaries, who coincidentally is the Baale of Soba Town in Amuwo-Odofin LGA, Chief Jimoh Raheem, lamented that the surrounding communities do not have the required PHCs to cater to their needs.
While commending NAS for the intervention, he urged the government to build more PHCs in the area.
“This Primary Healthcare Centre is no longer sufficient for us because we have four communities in this locality. They are Abule-Ado, Soba, Oteyi, and Itogba. In Soba alone, we have no fewer than 2000 houses, which means this PHC cannot serve us, let alone others. We are long overdue for a government hospital around here,” he noted.
