Accra, Jan. 20, GNA - A French Naval Medical Team in collaboration with the 37 Military Hospital on Thursday offered free medical services to residents of Dawhenya in the Greater Accra Region.

The team on board a French naval ship "Ouragan" under the command of Captain Olivier Pons docked at Tema Port on Wednesday.

Common ailments like malaria, eye and ear infections, sores, and skin rashes were paramount among other complaints the team catered for. The French team made of two surgeons, two nurses and eight para-medical staff also offered drugs to the inhabitants who were screened whiles others were advised on further treatment of their various diseases.

Speaking to journalists, Captain Pons said this was the second time that his team had visited the West African Coast, adding that it had earlier visited Benin, Gabon, Senegal and Togo.

Captain Pons said the visit to Ghana was to reinforce the existing ties between the French and the Ghanaian Navy and establish closer links with Ghanaians hence "rendering the free medical services to the people of Dawhenya."

Brigadier General Daniel Twum, Director of Medical Services, 37 Military Hospital said Dawhenya was chosen because of the deprived nature of the area and its proximity to the team.

He said the 37 Military Hospital in support of the programme offered 16 medical personnel including 6 doctors and a surgeon. Nene Kwaku Darpoh I, Chief of Dawhenya expressed his profound gratitude to the team for selecting his area for the medical outreach. Nene Darpoh appealed to the Ghana Health Service to provide them with a resident medical officer to man the Dawhenya Health Post to attend to emergencies instead of sending them to Prampram or the Tema General Hospital.

He said the midwife in charge of the Health Post could not attend to all the case in the area.

Pierre Jacquenot, French Ambassador designate later joined the medical team.