NAF commences free medical, surgical services to IDPs in Zamfara

The Nigerian Air Force has commenced free medical and surgical services to Internally Displaced Persons in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara.
Group Capt. Azubuike Chukwuka, the Director, Public Health and Humanitarian Services, Medical Services of the Nigerian Air Force, said at the launch of the programme in Marafa Umaru Primary School IDPs camp in Shinkafi on Friday.
He said that the outreach was targeting 4,000 beneficiaries and 120 surgeries, explaining that the gesture was one of social and community service programmes of NAF.
He said: “Due to insecurity issues in Zamfara, the Defence Headquarters embarked on Operation Sharandaji, as a result, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadeeque Abubakar, directed the deployment of Air Force troops to the area.
“It is our tradition wherever we are operating, we provide social and medical outreach to the host communities, that is why we are carrying out this exercise.
“The aim of this intervention is to alleviate the sufferings of the people.
“Our medical team has already been deployed and has started treating people with various health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, typhoid, malaria and eye problems.”
He thanked the Shinkafi Local Government Council and the community for the support given them.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Lawal Liman, thanked NAF for the gesture and described it as timely.
He urged displaced persons who had to leave their areas due to bandits’ attacks to remain calm, saying that the state government in collaboration with security agencies was making efforts to end the crisis.
He lauded the Federal Government for deploying troops to the state and urged the people to cooperate with the medical team for the success of the exercise.
The Chairman of Shinkafi, Alhaji Sani Galadi, assured the medical team of the council’s support for successful exercise.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that many people were displaced from their various communities in the three local government areas of Maradun, Shinkafi and Zurmi in Zamfara, following series of attacks by bandits.