15,000 IDPs Benefit from Free Medical Outreach in Adamawa

Daji Sani in Yola

Over 15,000 returnee Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Madagali, Michika, Hong, Mahia, Mubi North and South have benefited from a seven-day free medical outreach convened by Presidential Committee on the Northeast Initiative (PCNI) in Mubi town of Adamawa State.

Dr. Iko Ibanga disclosed this to THISDAY in Mubi on Saturday and noted that the turnout for the free medical outreach was very impressive, saying that the initial target was 5,000 sick persons devastated by the Boko Haram insurgency, but over 15,000 have turned out so far.

Ibanga, who is the head of the medical team of 90 the outreach said due to the turnout more medical personnel were deployed to see to the success of the programme.

He said the outreach was not only just to treat the IDPs but to also aid government make new discoveries of sicknesses and diseases that might have cropped in to the country as a result of the Boko Haram devastation in these areas.

The medical expert said they had diagnosis various kinds of diseases ranging from malaria, yellow fever, stomach-ache, hypertension, diabetes, eye etc, adding that about 104 IDPs undergo surgery.

Responding on the gesture, Hajiya, Salamatu Usman, who hails in Michika commended the PCNI for coming to their aid, saying she was diagnosed of acute malaria fever

Usman expressed belief that she would get well soon following the quality of drugs given to her, adding that after taking the drugs and injection for two days now, she has began to recover from her illness.

She called on other organisations to emulate the PCNI by organising more medical outreach to deliver the IDPs from sicknesses and lifetime injuries orchestrated by the onslaught of the insurgency

Also speaking, PCNI vice chairman, Tijjani Tumsa, said the intervention has become critical in order to make basic healthcare services available to thousands of returnee IDPs in areas devastated by the insurgency in the state.

Tumsa made the disclosure to Journalists in Yola, while presenting hospital equipments and drugs worth N400 million to the Adamawa state government to equip hospitals and clinics in areas devastated by insurgency and Herdsmen/ farmer clashes in the state.

While receiving the equipment and drugs, the Deputy Governor of the state, Engr. Martins Babale appreciated the PCNI for the gesture and promised that items brought would be judiciously used and sent to the appropriate areas.