Nigerian Red Cross visits Cameroonian Refugees community in Cross River

Cameroon refugees numbering more than 300 alongside members of their host communities, received free medical services from the Nigerian Red Cross Society in partnership with Cross River State, on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.

Beneficiaries who are resident in Calabar received a number of medical services ranging from blood sugar check, optometry, blood pressure check, dental care, children immunizations and COVID-19 vaccination.

In the Sensitisation segment, preceding the actual service delivery exercise, Dr Janet Ekpeyong, who is the Director Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Cross River State, encouraged the people including the host community to patronise the newly constructed and equipped health centre in their locality, emphasising the need for community engagement. Ekpenyong, who condemned the practice of self-medication amongst the people, advised them to imbibe healthy living and life-saving habits.

Her words, “I urge you to observe simple etiquettes of good living. It is important that you eat balanced diets, which do not need plenty of money to eat healthy because all around us here are fresh fruits and vegetables.”

“You must learn to rest well. Some of you sleep for less than five hours daily and it is not good for the body. Do not engage in heavy drinking, smoking and go for a regular health checkup and maintain good personal hygiene,” she stressed.

The Director-General thanked the Nigerian Red Cross Society for partnering with the State Government on healthcare delivery to the host communities besides the refugees.

“The Nigerian Red Cross recently became the implementing partner for most of the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, interventions for the Cameroon refugees in Cross River State. As part of their interventions, decided to carry out in collaboration with the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency a medical outreach,” Ekpenyong said.

She further noted that “recently, they helped to build a new health facility on Garden Street that would serve the refugees and the host community and we had to use this medical outreach to reintroduce the facility to the refugees and the community. It was one of those high impact interventions to see that those who are sick are cared for.”

A representative of the Nigerian Red Cross Society said that the organisation was pleased with the response of the state government to the general health of the people and magnanimity towards the refugees, which prompted the collaboration to offer free health services.

One beneficiary, Matilda Obiang thanked the state government for the safety and peace they now enjoy devoid of any form of discrimination and applauded the Nigerian Red Cross for the free healthcare services.

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Nigerian Red Cross visits Cameroonian Refugees community in Cross River

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