President Muhammad Buhari
Buhari
President Muhammad Buhari
Buhari Commissions Mega Nigerian Airforce Hospital in
Daura
President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned a 60 bed
ultra-modern Nigerian Air Force Reference Hospital (NAFRH) in
Daura, Katsina State.
The Reference Hospital, which was commissioned on 15 August
2019, would go a long way in meeting the healthcare needs of NAF
personnel, their dependants as well as other members of the Armed
Forces and the general public.
The NAFRH Daura is equipped with 2 state-of-the-art operating
theatres, an intensive care unit, medical laboratory, eye and
dental clinics and a physiotherapy department, amongst other
facilities. In addition to providing needed advanced Medicare, it
would also serve as the Teaching Hospital for the NAF School of
Medical Science and Aviation Medicine.
Other facilities available in the Hospital include; Special Baby
Care, Renal Dialysis, Ophthalmic, Dental, Maternity and Antenatal
units, as well as a Cancer Screening Centre. Others are the
Accident and Emergency Unit and a robust Radiology Department with
complete digital X-ray, mammogram, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
and computerized Tomography Scan Machines. The Hospital is also
equipped with modern diagnostic, life support and surgical
equipment intended to provide an ideal facility for the care of
critical cases such as soldiers wounded in action.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, the Special Guest of
Honour, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal
Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, assured the NAF of
the Federal Government’s support and commitment in ensuring that
the Hospital functions effectively for the benefit of all
Nigerians.
The President stated that the commissioning of the Hospital was
another critical milestone in the resolve by the nation’s Armed
Forces to provide the best possible health care for service men and
their dependants as well as the host community. While
congratulating the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal
Sadique Abubakar, for embarking on the laudable and noble project,
the President noted that the state-of-the-art medical equipment
provided in the hospital would minimize the need for people in
Daura, to travel to Kano, Kaduna, Abuja or even overseas to receive
medical care.
The President disclosed that the Federal Government has, in the
last 4 years, invested considerable resources in the health sector
by increasing budgetary allocation to the health sector from N259
Billion in 2015 to over N340 Billion in 2018. According to him,
significant strides have been made to improve life expectancy and
reduce some of the killer diseases associated with child and
maternal mortality to less than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births
by the Year 2030, as enshrined in the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals.
The President said, despite significant investment in the health
sector, many more efforts were needed to fully eradicate a wide
range of diseases and many persistent and emerging health issues in
the society. Therefore, to achieve sustainable healthcare delivery,
efforts would need to be redoubled and focused to providing more
efficient funding of the health sector, improved sanitation and
hygiene and increased access to medical care in rural areas in
order to save the lives of millions of Nigerians.
Speaking further, the President said the Hospital would assist
the Federal and State Governments in providing standard and
affordable health services to the people of Daura and other
adjoining towns and villages, with a view to supplementing the
existing secondary and tertiary facilities. It would also serve as
a centre for medical research where medical practitioners
collaborate to find solutions to public health challenges in the
country.
More importantly, the facility is poised to provide the much
needed trauma care for personnel on active duty, especially those
engaged in various theatres of operation. This, he said would go a
long way in boosting the morale of personnel as well as encouraging
them to give their best in the cause of service to their
fatherland. “I want to assure you that the Federal Government and
indeed the Katsina State Government are highly appreciative of this
initiative. The hospital will be utilized and maintained in the
best possible way. To the staff of the hospital, ‘to whom much is
given, much is expected.’ I urge you to maintain the highest
standard and quality of services the military is known for, in
attending to the patients and the host community”, the President
said.
While expressing his profound appreciation to the President for
his steadfastness in ensuring that the NAF is better equipped to
fulfill its statutory responsibilities, the CAS remarked that it
became necessary to establish full-fledged trauma hospitals in
close proximity to conflict areas for the treatment of
life-threatening battle injuries. He said it was for this reason
that the NAF took the bold step of establishing Reference Hospitals
in Port-Harcourt and Bauchi. He noted that the newly commissioned
NAFRH in Daura would complement the already existing NAF hospitals
in providing medical care for NAF personnel and their dependents as
well as members of the host communities.
According to him, “extending the services to our host
communities in various locations where our hospitals are located is
intended to boost the existing cordial relationship between the NAF
and members of the host communities, whilst at the same time
increasing NAF contribution towards the improvement of our National
health care delivery services”, the CAS noted.
Air Marshal Abubakar disclosed that the establishment of the
NAFRH and upgrade of other NAF hospitals was part of the modest
efforts by the NAF to reform health care in the Service and ensure
that personnel and their families get the best medical attention,
in order to spur them to greater dedication and performance. In
line with this objective, the CAS said, the NAF recently embarked
on a deliberate upgrade of other medical facilities through
enhancement of existing infrastructure, provision of modern
hospital equipment, recruitment of appropriate medical
professionals to bridge manpower deficiencies and retraining of own
medical personnel. He stated that all the 38 NAF medical facilities
had accordingly been provided with critically needed equipment and
medical personnel to enhance their service delivery.
Since 2016, the CAS said, the Service had recruited a total of 9
medical consultants, as well as 61 general medical practitioners
and dentists through the Direct Short Service Commission programme
which had significantly enhanced the capacity of the Medical
Services Branch to provide quality healthcare to personnel. Air
Marshal Abubakar further explained that, in line with the NAF’s
tradition of providing succour to communities affected by
terrorism, the Service established emergency hospitals for
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Bama and Maiduguri, and
upgraded the State Clinic in Maikohi IDP Camp in Yola. He equally
stated that the NAF had conducted medical outreach programmes
across the country which had provided medical care to over 323,000
IDPs and beneficiaries in host communities.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence
(MOD), Mrs Nuratu Batagarawa stated that the commissioning ceremony
underscored one of the major thrusts of military leadership, which
revolves around the welfare of personnel. Mrs Batagarawa noted that
in response to the imperative need to provide a quick resolution to
the security challenges in the country, the Federal Government had
deployed substantial national resources, especially in opening up
of additional military facilities in the country. While commending
the CAS for translating the strategic guidance of Mr President into
tangibility, the Permanent Secretary implored NAF personnel and
members of the host communities to ensure protection of the
facility.
The Commissioning ceremony, which was preceded by a 2-day
medical outreach at Sandamu Local Government Area, had in
attendance the Chairman Senate Committee on Air Force, Chairman
House Committee on Air Force as well as the Executive Governors of
Katsina, Zamfara and Kano States. Other dignitaries included the
Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Director Air Force MOD,
Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of
Police, His royal Highness the Emir of Daura, Deputy Governor of
Katsina State, Speaker Katsina State House of Assembly, Branch
Chiefs from Army and NAF Headquarters, Air Officers Commanding and
other serving senior military officers, amongst others.
IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force