NAN-DS-13
Outreach
By Yahaya Isah
Abuja, Aug. 10, 2017 (NAN) The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it has extended its medical outreach to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the Bakassi Peninsula.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
According to Adesanya, the four-day medical outreach that is designed to address the healthcare needs of displaced Nigerians is targeted at over 4,000 returnees located at the Ikot-Effiom and Ekpri-Obutong IDPs camps in Cross-River.
“The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, directed NAF Medical Services to conduct a medical outreach in the two camps, especially for women and children, to attend to their healthcare needs.
“The first phase of the outreach, which was conducted between Aug. 8 and Aug. 9 at the Ikot-Effiom witnessed the provision of healthcare services to about 1,500 IDPs in the camp.
“In addition to indigenes of the host community who trooped out in large numbers to benefit from NAF humanitarian services,” he said.
The people were offered a wide range of free medical tests and treatment for malaria and blood pressure in addition to fasting, random sugar level and eye tests,” he said.
The director said further that other medical checks carried out on the IDPs included those for various diseases and infections while treatment and drugs were administered freely on the patients.
He said treated mosquito nets were also distributed to women and children.
Adesanya said those with complicated medical cases were referred to NAF medical facilities in Calabar, Cross River, for secondary healthcare management.
“NAF 305 Special Mobility Group in Calabar is also involved in the Joint Internal Security Operations in Cross-River, code-named “Operation Skolombo” with a mandate to checkmate criminality including the protection of the IDPs,” he said.
He said NAF had been in the forefront of providing free medical care to IDPs and host communities of NAF Units across the country as part of its corporate social responsibility.
The director said the outreach had so far been spread across the country, especially
in the North-East, South-West, South-East and now, the South-South. (NAN)
YI/AMY/AMY
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Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf