The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has held its 7th Retreat Medical Outreach in Daura, Katsina State, aimed at providing free healthcare services to residents of the area.
Speaking during the outreach on Thursday, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Ahmad Tijjani-Abe, said the programme would provide general medical consultations, dental care, eye and ear care, as well as minor surgical operations for beneficiaries.
Tijjani-Abe said medical teams deployed for the exercise would also provide free medications to patients attending the outreach.
He added that the service would visit schools within the area to deworm students and distribute health kits and mosquito nets to help prevent malaria among children.
The Medical Team Leader of the outreach, Dr Ethelbert Ikechukwu, said the exercise was part of the initiative of the Comptroller-General of Customs, which had been carried out in different parts of the country over the years.
According to him, the programme is designed to support communities where customs personnel operate by offering free medical consultations and medications to residents.
Ikechukwu further explained that patients whose conditions could not be fully managed at the outreach centre would be referred to appropriate medical facilities for further treatment.
Ikechukwu urged members of the public to take advantage of the exercise, noting that the medical teams comprised highly qualified healthcare professionals.
Some beneficiaries who received treatment and medications expressed appreciation to the Nigeria Customs Service for the gesture.
One of the beneficiaries, Musa Ibrahim, said the outreach had assisted many people who could not afford hospital bills.
“I received free medical consultation and drugs, and I am very grateful for this support,” he said.
Another beneficiary, Amina Usman, commended the medical team for its professionalism and care.
She said the outreach would go a long way in improving the health condition of many residents, especially women and children.
The outreach targets about 2,000 patients across various areas of medical care.
