13th July, 2018
No fewer than 142 police personnel in Enugu took part in check-up to ascertain their health status as they carry out their duties and prepare for retirement.
The check-up, which covers blood pressure, sugar level and cholesterol level checks, was part of a pre-retirement programme for police personnel leaving the force between July 1 and Dec. 31.
Dr Hamza Wuro-Bekki, Managing Director, Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Pensions Limited, disclosed that the company was not only concerned about the personnel’s financial stability and settlement after retirement, but also about their health.
Wuro-Bekki said the check-up was part of the innovations to help intending or retired personnel ascertain their health status and live healthy.
“We started this innovation to ensure that police personnel, whether intending or actually retired, are very healthy and that they inculcate the habit of regular check-up.
“The company wants to prevent all forms of preventable deaths associated with some types of ailments people that are aging suffer.
“Such worrying development is what we want to stop among retired and serving police personnel and ensure that they are healthy,’’ he said.
Dr Austin Onyedebelu, the Head of the medical team, said that the most prevalent conditions among those screened were high cholesterol level and high blood pressure.
Onyedebelu said that the affected personnel were advised to cut down on carbohydrate and engage in physical exercise as well as ensure check-up at least once a month.
“We also issued prescription for people with minor health challenges after the test.
“We advised few who have high diabetes and blood pressure due to cholesterol to go to hospital at intervals for management,’’ he said.
A beneficiary of the check-up, ASP Ekene Michael, said that the exercise had helped him to know his health status.
“I have been enlightened on the need to ensure check-up at intervals,’’ Michael, who is serving in Abia State Police Command, said.
The Pre-Retirement Seminar (for police personnel retiring between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2018) was for police personnel in the five South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.