By Jennifer John
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Faruk Yahaya has made it clear that free medical outreach to communities where the Nigerian Army operates is part of the army’s Corporate Social Responsibility.
The Chief of Army Staff made this disclosure through the Chief of Administration, Nigerian Army, Major General Usman Shehu Muhammed who represented him at the flag off of the Nigerian Army free medical outreach at Avu, Owerri West LGA, as part of activities marking the 2022 Army Day Celebration in Imo State.
He said such civil military engagement will make the indigenes see reasons to support the Nigerian Army and feel free to provide them information needed to serve Nigerians better.
Speaking while fielding questions from newsmen, the Corps Commander Medical, Cornel I.B. Shelebo said essence of the programme was to offer health services to the people and also make them to see Nigerian Army personnel as friends who are around to protect them and not as foes who have come to harm them.
“We have been doing this over the years, and it has been increasingly successful. As you can see to the scope is large. We are providing several interventions, including checking of blood pressure, blood sugar, check for herpatitis B, herpatitis vaccination.
“Owerri West LGA is also using the opportunity to provide Covid-19 vaccination while the medical association of South East students joined us. We also have some NGOs; like the stroke rehabilitation hospital in Owerri. It is a strong collaborative effort towards improving the health of less privileged Nigerians”
Cornel. Shelebo said the Nigerian Army viewed the medical outreach as a very important boost for the civil military cooperation, as according to him, the programme was going on simultaneously at various centres, not only in Imo State, but across the federation.
He listed some of the medical services being administered free of charge to Nigerians to include; consultancy, pharmaceutical, dental, laboratory, vaccination.
Also included was the donation of equipment such as wheelchairs and clutches by some medical outfits and NGOs which volunteered to support the Nigerian Army free medical outreach.
He advised the indigenes against spreading information to misrepresent the programme, saying that the programme was just basic goodwill being shown by the Nigerian Army towards the physical wellbeing of indigenes of communities where they are operating.
Cornel. Shelebo urged the indigenes to take advantage of the programme to ascertain the state of their health and get remedies where necessary.
