By Francis Sadhere, Warri
The Forward Operating Base (FOB), Escravos of the Nigerian Navy (NN) on Wednesday organized a free medical outreach for the residents of Madangho Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
The initiative saw hundreds of community members, including youth and elders, benefit from a range of essential health services.
Under the supervision of Navy Capt. Olayinka Aliu, the Commanding Officer of FOB Escravos, the medical exercise featured various services aimed at promoting the well-being of the community.
These services included free medical consultations, health education sessions, distribution of free medication for common ailments, blood pressure and sugar checks, as well as the provision of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, among other offerings.
Captain Aliu emphasized that the outreach was part of the broader Operation Delta Sanity III, an initiative launched by the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, on July 10, 2024.
Operation Delta Sanity III employs both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to address various challenges in the region, with the free medical outreach serving as a manifestation of the non-kinetic aspect of the operation.
In his address to the beneficiaries, Captain Aliu expressed the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to fostering a safe and clean environment free from activities such as crude oil theft.
He highlighted the positive relationship that FOB Escravos has maintained with the Madangho Community over the years, noting that the outreach was a gesture of gratitude and reciprocity towards the host community.
Furthermore, Captain Aliu assured the community that individuals in need of additional medical attention would be referred to the Naval Reference Hospital in Warri for further treatment.
“We have been enjoying good relationship with the Madangho Community, so, it beholds on us to also give back to them in our own little ways.
“We work tirelessly with youth of community to arrest perpetrators of crude oil theft. They have been very supportive,” he said.
Responding on behalf of the community, Mr Solomon Uwawah thanked the FOB Escravos for the laudable gesture.
Uwawah who is the head of the community leaders in Madangho told newsmen on the sideline that there was no clinic in the community.
According to him, the only cottage hospital in the community was razed down during the 2003 crisis.
“This is a very laudable exercise and first of it’s kind in Madangho Community. There is no clinic in this community since the cottage hospital was burnt down,” he said.
Also, Mr Victor Laju, the National Vice Chairman of Ugborodo Community thanked the NN for the initiative.
Laju noted that initiative would further help to cement the already existing relationship between the FOB Escravos and the host community.
He, however, appealed to both the Federal and State governments to bring development to the Madangho Community, stressing that the cottage hospital that was razed had not been rebuilt.
“On behalf of the Madangho Community, I thank the NN. We have not experienced this king of gesture before now. It shows the love you have for our community.
“I am begging the federal government and calling on the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to look into Madangho situation and build the cottage hospital that was burnt down in 2003,” he said.
The free medical services provided at the outreach encompassed various health checks and treatments, including eye examinations, blood pressure monitoring, sugar level assessments, and malaria diagnosis and treatment.
Overall, the successful free medical outreach organized by FOB Escravos shows the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to community engagement, public health, and collaboration with local residents in the ongoing efforts to promote peace and security in the region.
