The Onitsha outpost of the Nigerian Navy has commenced intense free medical healthcare services to Odekpe community in Ogbaru Council Area of Anambra State as part of the activities marking this year’s Naval celebration.

Men of the Nigerian Navy, Onitsha outpost, has started intense free medical healthcare services to Odekpe, in Ogbaru Council Area of  AnambraState as Part Of the Activities marking this year;s new yam festival

Speaking yesterday, during the  exercise at the Naval Base permanent site, Odekpe, the Naval Commander in charge of Onitsha Naval Outpost, Navy Captain Mike Oarmen, said the exercise was part of activities marking Naval annual celebration to give back to the society.

Captain Oarmen said the free medical healthcare was part of efforts towards fostering harmonious co-existence among the Naval personnel and their host community.

He said: “This exercise is aimed at fostering harmonious co-existence among the Naval personnel and their host community. It is part of activities marking Naval annual celebration where we reach out to the people, providing them with free medical care and other services to bring medical healthcare closer to the people living in the hinterlands.”

The Naval Commander said that the exercise would last for two days to enable the residents of the area benefit from the medical care services and urged the the people of Odekpe to cooperate with the Navy to have a good and secure environment.

The Chairman of Ogbaru council area, Mr. Victor Agolue, described the exercise as first of its kind in the history of the council area since the Nigerian Navy was given the site to build their permanent base.

Mr. Agolue said the people of the community never anticipated such gesture, adding “we were even still jubilating that the coming of Navy into our town will give us security; we didn’t know that apart from providing us with security, they had another thing in mind to give us free medical health care delivery.

He said the council shall corporate with the Nigeria Navy to make the exercise quarterly in a year instead of annually, while assuring the people of the community that his government shall support the Navy to continue with the health deliver services.

The traditional ruler of Odekpe, Eze Chukwuma Onyia, Okakwu of Odekpe commended the Nigeria Navy for the free medical exercise and called on the people of the community to avail themselves of the opportunity.