Kaduna Army Hospital Treats over 7,000 Wounded Soldiers

Kaduna Army Hospital Treats over 7,000 Wounded Soldiers

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Acting Chief Medical Director (CMD) of 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, Colonel Stephen Onuchukwu, has disclosed that more than 7,000 officers and soldiers wounded in counterinsurgency operations have been treated in the hospital.

Onuchukwu stated this on Saturday, when President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, visited the hospital as part of the activities marking the two years anniversary of the Ninth Senate.

The CMD said the hospital was of international standard, adding that its services are accessible to both the military and civilian populace.

He said most wounded officers and soldiers, especially from the frontlines, were brought to Kaduna for treatment and their medicals were prioritised, while those that required surgery were operated within 24 hours.

Onuchukwu said there had been a kind of cultural shift lately.

“Initially, most of the amputees were no longer useful, but with the model improved services, most of them are still being retained and trained in computer hardware repair, among others, to enable them to fit into new office engagements,” he said.

Onuchukwu added, “We have enhanced programmes to help the amputees, that will enable them to work as a non-combatant.

“For now, more than 7,000 of them have passed through the hospital within this period that we have counterinsurgency.”

In his remarks, Lawan said the visit was to empathise with the people who had given everything to defend the territorial integrity of the country.

He said it was also “an opportunity for us to see first-hand how we can be more responsive to the needs of our military hospitals because, beyond compassion and empathy, there are responsibilities and obligations as people who represent Nigerians.”

The senate president explained, “After the civil war in Nigeria, there was never a time that our military men were involved in warfare as we have now, which means that some of our officers and soldiers will be challenged with wounds that require hospitalisation.
“As a country, we are supposed to provide more resources to cater for the needs of those officers and men wounded in action.”

He commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for their effort to tackle the security threats across the country.

“The National Assembly will do everything to provide resources for you as you may be aware that there is a complementary budget before us and as soon as we vacate this anniversary recess, the National Assembly will expedite action to grant the request of Mr President on that supplementary budget,” Lawan said.

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