NAF Commences Medical Outreach for Benue IDPs
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), on 26 March 2018, flagged off a 3-day Medical Outreach Programme for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the Abagana-Agan IDP camp in Benue State.
This followed a directive by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, for the NAF Medical Services Branch to conduct the medical outreach for IDPs in the area so as to alleviate their sufferings. Services to be provided during the medical outreach include primary healthcare and curative services, general and eye surgeries, mass deworming as well as provision of medicated glasses and insecticide treated mosquito nets.
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While speaking during the flagging off ceremony, the Executive Governor of Benue State, Doctor Samuel Ortom, who was represented by the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Cecilia Omaile Ojabo, lauded the NAF for coming to the aid of IDPs in the State. She noted that the medical intervention by the NAF would go a long way to alleviate the sufferings of the about 170,000 IDPs in the area.
Earlier in his remarks, the CAS, who was represented by the Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command (AOC TAC) Makurdi, Air Vice Marshal Oladayo Amao, reiterated that the NAF is always mindful and committed towards alleviating health challenges of IDPs in the State and in Nigeria as a whole. At the end of the outreach, it is projected that about 4,450 IDPs would have been treated while 70 to 100 general and eye surgeries would have been conducted. The Agan IDP Camp has a population of over 20,000 persons. The NAF medical team is expected back in Abuja on 29 March 2018.
OLATOKUNBO ADESANYA
Air Vice Marshal
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force
