NAF Provides Medicals to 4,500 Zamfara IDPs

NAF Provides Medicals to 4,500 Zamfara IDPs

In furtherance of efforts to provide succor for victims of the recent spate of armed banditry in the Northwest, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is carrying out a 5-Day Special Medical Outreach for the benefit of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Zamfara State.

The Special Medical Outreach, which began yesterday, 3 August 2018, at the Marafa Umaru Primary School, Shinkafi, is expected to cater for 4,500 patients. The first day of the outreach witnessed a large turnout of patients who were treated for various ailments and conditions. The medical services provided include health and visual acuity checks, de-worming of children, provision of prescription eyeglasses and treated mosquito nets as well as required meditations. Minor surgical procedures were also carried out at the Shinkafi General Hospital for patients with surgical needs. The beneficiaries all expressed gratitude for the services received from the NAF Medical Team

Speaking during the flag-off ceremony, the Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulazeez Yari Abubakar, who was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Lawal Liman, expressed gratitude to the NAF for the humanitarian gesture. He commended the laudable efforts of the NAF under the leadership of the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, in responding promptly to the needs of his people. According to him, the medical outreach was a great relief and would compliment the efforts of the State Government in alleviating the suffering of the IDPs.

The NAF Medical Team was led by Group Captain Azubuike Chukwuka who is the Director of Public Health and Humanitarian Services, HQ NAF. According to him, the Special Medical Outreach was an initiative of the CAS designed to alleviate the untold hardship being experienced by the IDPs in Zamfara State. “We intend to be in Zamfara State for 5 days and we hope to attend to 4,500 patients while those that need surgeries will be operated upon”, he said. It would be recalled that the NAF on 29 July 2019, in compliance with the directives of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, deployed additional troops and air assets, along with the necessary ground support equipment and logistics, to Katsina and Gusau in support of anti-armed banditry operations in the Northwest.

IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force