About 200 persons comprising men, women, youths and children from Obuama Community in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State have benefitted from the free medical exercise conducted by the Nigeria Police Medical Services of the state police command.
The programme, which has the theme, “Smear for Smear”, was organised by the Police Medical Services in the state in collaboration with Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN) as part of activities to mark the 2020 World Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in the state.
Speaking at the event in Obuama community, the representative of the commissioner of police in charge of Medical Services, CSP Oni Akindele, said the free medical service was designed by the inspector general of police to promote health condition of police personnel and the community at large.
Akindele said the programme was aimed at creating awareness on the dangerous nature of cervical cancer as well as to administer treatment on other health issues, especially in areas of hypertension, diabetes, malaria, eye challenges, among others.
According to him, women are most vulnerable to these dangerous diseases, adding that cervical cancer can be cured, if detected early and the right treatment administered.
Akindele who is a chief superintendent of police (CSP), urged the people to always take their health seriously, adding that such free medical service has been held in other parts of the state.
Also speaking, the President, Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Rivers State branch, Dr Vetty Agala, said the programme was to create awareness of cervical cancer disease to the people in the area, especially the women, adding that cancer was an abnormal cell growth that occurs in women’s body, common in Africa.
Agala attributed early sex and having multiple sex partners among young women as possible causes of cervical cancer in women.
Other causes of the disease include drugs, smoking, among others, she said, noting that it was not hereditary but early detections can lead to its cure.
“Regular medical check up and screening is recommended for its treatment”, Agala added.
In their various speeches, representatives of the community, Chief Opuks Harry and the Woman Leader, Mrs Daughter Nathaniel Cottreel lauded the police for the initiative, adding that the free medical programme would go a long way in impacting on lives in the community.
Our correspondent reports that the combined medical team comprising the police and MWAN handled and treated various degrees of ailments and administered free drugs to both the elderly men and women, youths and children as well as pupils and students within Obuama and their neighbours during the one-day programme.