THE Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), on Sunday, said it has inaugurated an outreach to provide free medical healthcare services to 17, 000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno.
Borno Chairman of the association, Babashehu Muhammad, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Maiduguri.
Muhammad said that the exercise would be conducted by the union`s Association of Residents Doctors (ARD), Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN) and the Nigeria Dental Association, among others.
Muhammad said the union would also provide services to IDPs in five liberated local government areas in the state.
He said the councils are Bama, Dikwa, Munguno, Konduga and Kaga.
“The health needs of the people pose a very great challenge in the state, hence all hands most be on deck to promote advancement of health in the country.
“Government must pay priority attention to the health challenges in the state.
“When we visited these IDPs and conducted our examinations, we discovered that a lot of them need prompt health care services.
“We have established five units in each of the three camps which include Teachers, Dalori 1 and Dalori 2.
“For now, we have screened about 1, 000 adults on various ailments. Also tests were conducted ranging from malaria, typhoid fever, HIV and hypertension in Teacher’s Village camp.
“About 250 pregnant women were given anti-natal services and we donated some drugs to them by our Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) unit.
“Also minor ailments among children were treated; we administered drugs such as anti-malaria, de-worming, anti-biotic and URTI on them.
“Our dental unit also examined 60 adults, we discovered some problems and we referred them to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for free services.
“Our eye physicians were also able to identify about 18 adults that needed cataract surgery, drug and eye glasses.”
“We plan to partner with relevant stakeholders like SEMA, UNICEF, WHO, UNDP, UNFPA, Doctors Without Borders and the state government to achieve our desired objectives,” he said