Contrary to the targeted 500 people expected to benefit from the free medical outreach organized to celebrate WCO International Customs Day 2024, a crowd thronged the Customs training village for the exercise.
More than 500 people drawn from the Nigeria Customs Service, Maritime Stakeholders and Residents within vicinity of the Nigeria Customs Training Village, Ikeja, Lagos, benefited from the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, free medical outreach Service held at Customs Training Village on Friday, 26, January 2024 to mark World Customs Organisation’s International Customs Day 2024.
The CGC’s medical outreach which was in partnership with Rotary Club of Lagos, Palmgrove Estate, and Indian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Importers of Nigeria surpassed the set target of 500 as more people from the Public joined the exercise.
Our reporter observed the process which had more than five stages and also benefited from the free exercise. It was observed that after the medical checkups, individuals were given free drugs and eye glasses.
While speaking on the medical exercise, Rotarian Anuj Murarka, President, Rotary Club of Lagos, Palmgrove Estate, also confirmed that more than 500 people took part in the free medical checkups, stating the Club couldn’t have gotten the opportunity to serve the people within the community more if not for the involvement of Customs.
Anuj added that they collaborated with Customs to celebrate International Customs Day 2024 and focused more on health issues inorder to help prevent Public’s underlying health issues before it escalated. “We also focused on health status because of the fact that Customs needs to stay fit and healthy inorder to carry out their statutory mandate, so they need to check their status always,” he said.
To him, “The CGC has been wonderful for taking this great step of partnership. As you can see, the program involves comprehensive health Service which includes blood pressure, sugar level and eye screening. Individuals were given free drugs and eye glasses after the checkups. It was observed that many have cataracts. So we decided to give them glasses. We intend doing more of this on quarterly basis.”
The CGC’s free medical outreach is one out of different activities set aside to celebrate the International Customs Day 2024 on Friday 26, January 2024.
World Customs Organization had dedicated 2024 to Customs Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose, a strategic call to action, urging all major actors to broaden their perspectives, think creatively, and embrace innovative approaches.
