A group of American physicians collaborates with NGO to give free health care services in Calabar

Association of Nigerian Physicians in Americas- ANPA, in collaboration with the Child Survival Development Organisation of Nigeria, CSDON on Monday, in Calabar, embarked on its annual medical mission, with a combined team of 107 medical practitioners from the Unites States and Nigeria.

The event began with a virtual training of the frontline team of neo natal practitioners.

In her address, Chairman of CSDON, Mrs Onari Duke, who also is one of the facilitators of their 12th annual mission urged the beneficiaries to avail themselves of a technology driven registration process, which she said, was the first of its kind in Nigeria.

According to her, this had been put in place to ensure covid-19 protocol compliance.

Duke emphasised that only patients with pre-assigned mission numbers will have access to the specialists.

Speaking, ANPA President Dr. Chris Okunseri, who spoke through a webinar, said that through the collaboration the mission has purchased over 1000 covid test kits.

He added that the purpose of their mission was to serve the people of Cross River and Nigerians at large by providing continuous education, basic health assessment and care.

“This partnership has demonstrated what people can do when we come together. We have not allowed covid-19 to prevent us from engaging in activities that promotes our vision of a healthier Nigeria in a healthier world.

“One cornerstone of our organisation- ANPA, registered in the United States of America, is to go on medical mission from one state to another in Nigeria.

“When we get there: we are out there providing healthcare services to our families, friends, neighbours and our fellow citizens. This is another opportunity, which could only happen with a very serious partner, CSDON, ” he said.

He disclosed further that ANPA was able to mobilise other colleagues in Nigeria, including pharmacists, nurses and other healthcare workers under the umbrella of ANPA and CSDON to come together so that we can provide the necessary quality healthcare services to fellow Nigerians.

“We are adhering to all covid-19 protocols by engaging in another level of technology to enable people to register, which echoes a very strong belief of mine that when you find yourself challenged, you should not dwell too much on the challenges, but think of opportunities to overcome those challenges, ” he said.

Explaining further, Okunseri said that their mission was another example of how things were done through technology innovations.

“ANPA have procured all the necessary medications that will be dispensed or prescribed by our experts so that our patients cannot go home without the necessary medications.

“Be it pains, antibiotic, fever, psychiatric or whatever medications that will be required to provide quality care to our fellow Nigerians, ” he said

In her remarks, Director General of Cross River Primary Health Care Development Agency, (CRSPHCDA) Dr. Janet Ekpenyong expressed  Government’s appreciation of the former first lady, Mrs Duke for always coming up with initiatives and interventions that impact the health of the people of the state.

“I want to also appreciate all the doctors ANPA, CSDON and other organisations that are collaborating to ensure that this intervention coms into Cross River State.

“For us, it is a thing of joy, especially as we are facing this worrisome pandemic, which has ensured that utilisation of services and especially access to care have actually reduced drastically.

“Our goal as an agency is to see that about 70 per cent of Cross Riverians have access to this project.

“We will see how we can mobilize people from the grassroots that is why we must work with you to ensure that through our community health workers who are in every community in the state that knows those in need of this intervention will be able to mobilize them in all the designated centers across the state.

“We have also ensured that information has been disseminated to all the local government areas, and already a lot of the people are already expressing interests.

We want to reiterate the fact that we have medical personnel who will be on ground to support this process to ensure a huge success, ” she said.