Army Offers Free Medical Services In Niger

From Tunde Suleman, Minna
The Headquarters 31 Artillery Brigade, Minna Niger State on Tuesday offered free medical services to Beji community in Bosso Local Government Area of the state as part of activities marking the Nigerian Army Day celebrations.
Brig. Gen. Abba Dikko, Brigade Commander, 31 Artillery Brigade, Minna made this known while inaugurating the one-day exercise in Beji.
Dikko said that the free medical treatment would carter for minor ailments that can be detected through interaction with the patient with on-the-spot laboratory services available.
His words: “The free medical treatment is part of our corporate social responsibility to mark the Nigerian Army Day Celebrations ongoing in Maiduguri.
“This is a way of letting the people of the community to know that beyond our constitutional role of defending the nation we also carry them along.’’
Gen, Dikko said many people in the rural communities do not have access to health facilities due to financial constraints, hence the free medical services.
“In our bid to give opportunity to those who are not empowered to access medical care we are doing this,’’ he said.
The Brigade Commander said the targeted beneficiaries were not pegged at a number, as the medical corps would attend to all the community people that would make themselves available.
Also speaking, Hajiya Fati Garba, Director Primary Health Care, Bosso Local Government, commended the Army for the gesture.
Garba said the free health service would go a long way in meeting some of the health needs of the people.
Similarly, Mallam Useni Musa, Secretary to the Village Head, Alhaji Ibrahim Beji who was also a beneficiary commended the Army for the service.
Musa appealed to the state government to emulate the gesture to enable the people know their health status.
“We are poor here, sometimes our people do not go for medical check-up due to lack of money,’’ he said.