NAF scales up Medical Outreach in Borno

As part of its recently commenced counter-insurgency offensive, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commenced another medical outreach programme in Borno State. The latest phase of its medical outreach programme is primarily aimed at enhancing available medical facilities and personnel at the 105 Composite Group (CG) Maiduguri. This is to position the Medical Centre to adequately attend to the anticipated increase in the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) resulting from the intensive day and night air strikes by the NAF.

The programme is also designed to win the hearts and minds of the locals in the conflict areas. A team of medical specialists has been drafted to the 105 CG Medical Centre to augment the existing medical manpower for the operation. Per the directives of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, surgeries are being conducted, at no cost to the IDPs, for those requiring surgical interventions.

Upon deployment, the medical team immediately commenced handling critical cases requiring surgery in IDP camps around Maiduguri, including Bakassi, NYSC, Gubio, Teachers’ Village, CAN Centre, Shuari, Farm Centre, Goni Kachalai, Muna Garage and Dalori. So far, the NAF medical outreach team has successfully performed 23 general surgeries and 30 eye surgeries on IDPs from the various camps. On September 14, the specialists extended the medical outreach to the IDP camp in Rann from where over 30 IDPs were airlifted by a NAF helicopter for surgery at the NAF medical facilities in Maiduguri. It is envisaged that about 150 surgeries will be conducted during outreach programme. This is the fourth in the series of surgical interventions lined up by the NAF for the IDPs in Borno State.