150 benefit from Pyrates’s medical mission at Igbo-Efon PHC

By Jeremiah Urowayino At least 150 patients have benefited from a free medical mission organised by the National Association of Seadogs Pyrates Confraternity) at Igbo- Efon Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State. The NAS Medical Mission was part of the activities of the Quarter 1 Pyrates Working Council (PWC) held over the weekend at Hispaniola Deck.

Speaking in an interview during the medical mission, the NAS Cap’n, Dr Charles Meribole, disclosed that the Mission is to improve the quality of healthcare delivery in local communities. According to him, the central message of the NAS Medical Mission is to preach affordable Medicare for all Nigerians. He maintained that good healthcare starts at the primary level, and NAS/PC, through the NAS Medical Mission, will continue to offer its services to complement the efforts of government. ‘’ We seek to improve the quality of primary healthcare in Nigeria through the NAS Medical Mission.

We are at Igbo Efon under our deck at Hispaniola. This initiative would foster and strengthen our commitment to our local environment as part of the efforts to ensure our local chapters influence their local environment positively. ‘’ We are here with our medical experts and drugs to provide adequate healthcare delivery to the people. I am very happy to be part of the process and team.

We will continue to sustain the NAS Medical Mission and ensure everyone around us feels the impact of what we do. The whole idea is to preach affordable medical care at the primary health care. This is because good health starts at the primary level. Our NAS medical mission is to complement the efforts of the government to improve the quality of our healthcare.’’ The NAS Medical Pyrate, Dr Emmanuel Okpetu a health intervention initiative of the National Association of Seadogs to help less privilege.

It seeks to address gaps in healthcare delivery and equality in access to quality health. While acknowledging that Lekki is one of the most urbanised areas in Lagos, Okpetu added that it also has rural and semi-urban areas with inhabitants who lack access to quality medical care. ‘’ Lekki is one of the most urbanised areas in Lagos. That does not mean it does not have rural and semi-urban areas or less privileged areas that lack access to quality healthcare.

We are not offering everything and we are nor promising everything, but we are saying the little we can offer based on our expertise we are offering can go a long way to support rural inhabitants’’ he said. Mr Bart Akelemor, who is the Chief programme officer of the organisation, disclosed that the NAS Medical Mission was conceived to address the shortfall identified by the organisation in Nigeria’s health sector.

According to him, the NAS Medical Mission intends to reach out to indigent people in rural areas to and provide them medical support. He added that the primary function is to use the information on the ground to collate data for healthcare advocacy. The officer in charge of Igbo- Efon PHC, Mrs Aderonmu Racheal Toyin, commended NAS/ PC for the gesture of a free medical mission. ‘’ NAS is the first organisation that would come and offer services to patients here.

NAS’s gesture of giving free medical services to patients is very surprising. NAS doing this in the midst of the economic problems is commendable. The people of Igbo- Efon are very happy. The NAS Medical Mission has helped to attract more patients to the PHC, and it is also going to build trust in our health facility.’’ ’