Police get free eye care and other health services
Emmanuel Alfred
The Cross River State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has commended the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), for offering free eye care and other health services to over 500 of its officers in the State.
Out of the 500; 170 received eye checks, 150 were given glasses, 150 were treated for malaria, 140 got their Blood Pressure (BP) checked, 500 were dewormed, 350 had their Blood Sugar level checked, multivitamins were given to 35 pregnant officers, amongst others.
Speaking during the free medical outreach held at the Nigeria Police Command, Diamond Hill, Calabar on Thursday, December 15, 2022, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Supol Irene Ugbo said this is timely as officers of the Force barely have time to go for medical check-up and treatment.
Ugbo noted that the Police barely have outreaches like this from organisations as she commended the NAS for this timely intervention.
She took time to express why quality healthcare is good for the Force. “We barely have outreaches like this one from organisations, and this came in as a surprise to us the Police because such a thing is supposed to be happening regularly.
“Since the work is intense, most of our officers hardly have time to visit the hospitals to check up their body for any form of illnesses, so, it is a welcome development that the National Association of Seadogs have deemed it fit to extend their olive to the Police Community.
We are happy and hope and wish that this should be a regular thing for the Police so that we can keep our health intact in other to perform our duties amicably. So many officers here don’t know what may be happening to them because of the intensity of our job, so, this is timely” Ugbo said.
The PPRO who expressed how happy the Police Community is, lauded the Commissioner of Police in the State, CP Sule Balarabe, saying “You can see smiles on the faces of the officers, there are several illnesses amongst us the Police – I have seen many of them using glasses, which is welcoming. We want such humanitarian treatment meted out to the Police to continue, at least once in 3 months and it is even better since it is being carried out on our doorsteps.
The Commissioner of Police, because of his love for the Police has found it necessary for this to happen and that is why we are here today”.
She pleaded that “Apart from giving healthcare to the Police, we have other needs too and we are pleading to other organisations out there to assist us in any way they can. We have some officers with mental health issues, and the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Calabar came and a couple of officers are being taken care of. These are the things we need”.
