By Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed a Team of medical experts to Zungeru in Wushishi Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State as part of humanitarian efforts geared towards alleviating the plights of the victims of the recent flood that ravaged the State. The medical outreach, which commenced today, 20 September 2018, is taking place at the Central Primary School Zungeru, where close to 1,000 flood victims now temporarily reside, and is expected to cater to the health needs of about 5,000 members of the Zungeru community.
The NAF Medical Team is led by Group Captain Azubuike Chukwuka, the Director of Public Health and Humanitarian Services, Headquarters NAF, who stated that the 5-day medical outreach is an initiative of the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, as part NAF’s constitutional role of providing Military Aid to Civil Authority (MACA). He stated that the medical services that would be provided included health and visual acuity checks, de-worming of children as well as provision of prescription eye glasses, treated mosquito nets and required medication. He also noted that minor surgical procedures would be carried out for patients with surgical needs.
A large number of displaced persons benefited from the medical services on the first day of the outreach, which was witnessed by the Commander 351 Base Services Group NAF Base Minna, Group Captain Suleiman Usman as well as the State Coordinator Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Mrs Hajiya Saratu and the Chairman of Wushishi LGA, Alhaji Bashir Umar Maishanu. It would be recalled that the NAF also recently held a special medical intervention in Shinkafi, Zamfara State, where about 4,600 Internally Displaced Persons, who were victims of armed banditry, benefited from medical care.