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…as over 600 residents benefit from free medical care, with 200 receiving eye glasses

With insecurity continuing to pose challenges in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in partnership with the Rotary Club of Abuja City, District 9127, and private health organisations, has organised a two-day security awareness and medical outreach in Guzape and Piyakasa communities.

The programme, estimated at over ₦10 million, offered free health services including malaria testing and treatment, hepatitis screening, blood pressure and sugar checks, eye examinations, and the distribution of 200 eyeglasses. Mothers and children were also not left out from free deworming exercises.

Alongside the medical services, security sensitisation sessions were held with community leaders, youths, and residents.

The NSCDC Commandant General, Olusola Odumosu, represented by Commander John Alaba Stephen of the FCT Armed Squad Unit, said the initiative was aimed at combining health and security education, noting that communities flourish only when both safety and wellbeing are assured.

“We are here to give security awareness and medical support so that, at the end of the day, the community is both peaceful and healthy. Security is everyone’s business, and we need synergy between the people and security agencies to tackle criminality,” he said.

Corps Commander Emmanuel Lukou also urged residents to remain vigilant: “If you see something, say something. Delayed information can be dangerous. Everyone is a security officer in their own right.”

President Rotary Club of Abuja City, Rotarian Gloria Ikibah, explained that the outreach aligns with Rotary International’s areas of focus, including peacebuilding and conflict prevention, disease prevention and treatment, maternal and child health, and polio awareness.

“Health is wealth, and if you are healthy, you will be able to secure your environment. We have adopted communities and schools where we continuously run projects. This is not a one-off; Rotary gives back consistently.

“Through this project, we are bringing healthcare closer to the people who need it most, by addressing the health needs of the vulnerable.

“At the same time, through security awareness, we are empowering individuals and families to protect themselves and live with greater confidence and peace of mind. Together, these interventions will contribute to building stronger, safer, and healthier communities across the Federal Capital Territory Abuja”, she said.

Medical Director of Silver Cross Hospitals, Dr. Patrick Ezie, revealed that over 600 residents came out to benefit from the outreach, with cases ranging from hypertension, malaria, typhoid, high sugar and skin infections.

He urged Nigerians to embrace regular health checks rather than waiting until illnesses become emergencies.

“In total, we’ve been able to see about 600 to 700 people of various diverse backgrounds in the communities of Piakasa and Gozape.

“We’ve been able to see a vast range of community dwellers with various illnesses, ranging from hypertension to malaria to typhoid. A lot of them had skin diseases. Some of them had very high levels, sugar levels, you know, and then also a lot of children with malaria, catarrh, fever, which we’ve also been able to attend to.

“We’ve also been able to provide services such as malaria testing, free hepatitis screening, PSA, and we also have testing for other things like typhoid and the rest of them. So this event is teamed up trying to help the less fortunate in the FCT while contributing our own quota. Silver Cross Hospitals through its corporate social responsibility is ensuring that we try to push the mandate for universal health coverage.

“We did have a few of the communities, indigent, that we had to refer for specialist care or urgent attention in the hospital because of what we were able to see from the screening tests that we’ve been able to do here today”, he said.

The Programme Manager, Eye Care Aid Foundation, Diamond Abba, stressed the importance of routine eye check-ups, noting that poor eye health often goes untreated until it becomes severe.

“What we are here to do is to give free eye screenings for everybody in the community. You know, the eye has different conditions or different sicknesses. There’s cataract, there’s glaucoma, there’s refractive errors.

“So basically, those who have refractive errors, those who can’t see properly, who can’t read properly, we are here to give them reading glasses free of charge.

“It is advised that every individual should check his eyes once every two years. Once every two years, you check your eyes because you get older and when you get older, the muscles of your eye gets weakened and you’ll find out that when you try to read with your normal eyes, you can’t see properly. So what the glasses help you, medicated glasses helps you, is to relax the muscles so that you can read properly. That strain, the eyeglasses or the medicated glasses helps you to see properly. Okay, so thank you so much”, Abba stated.

The Chief of Guzape Community, Chief Bitrus Yakubu in his remarks, praised the organisers for bringing both health and security interventions to the community. He, however, appealed for more support to tackle insecurity in nearby villages such as Badumatiri, Kobe One, and Kobe Two, where kidnappings have been on the rise.

“We are very happy for this programme and appreciate your ideas on security.

“Our people face challenges from kidnappers, especially in Badumatiri and Kobe. We need more police and civil defence presence in those areas. What happens there affects us here in Guzape. I thank you for trying, and we beg that more manpower and patrol vehicles be provided,” the Chief said.

Residents also expressed gratitude. Lami Jiwa, a mother of three, said the free medical services were life-saving.

“I came for the test and they discovered my blood pressure was very high. They gave me drugs and explained how to manage it. I am so grateful because I could not have afforded this treatment on my own,” she said.

Another beneficiary, Joseph Daniel, a farmer, received free eyeglasses after an eye examination.

“I have been struggling to see clearly for years, especially at night. Today, they tested my eyes and gave me glasses free of charge. I can now see better and continue my work without strain. May God bless Rotary and Civil Defence for remembering us,” he said.

The outreach, which also featured collaboration with Medplus Pharmacy, Dream Awake Empowering Initiative, and Eye Care Aid Foundation, is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen community resilience through health and security partnerships.