IDPs Soldiers of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps in Borno State have taken medical care to liberated villages where residents displaced from remote communities are currently being camped.

Eight hundred Internally Displaced Persons (IPDs) have so far accessed the medicare under the military intervention scheme.

The General Officer Commanding the 7 Division, Lamidi Adeosun, said that the free medical care was in line with the directives of the Chief of Army Staff to discourage displaced persons in already liberated areas from moving to Maiduguri.

Adeosun said there was no need for the IDPs to proceed to Maiduguri, the capital city.

The team of military medics attended to the sick in Konduga town, about 35 kilometres away from Maiduguri.

Over 1,000 villagers are trapped by insurgents in remote villages and cut off from the outer world until few weeks ago when the army sacked them are now being camped in Konduga town.

Cases of malaria and worms are most prevalent among those attended to.

A similar exercise is being conducted by the Nigerian Air force within the capital city, Maiduguri where eight out of the 23 IDP camps have played host to medics.

An official of the Nigerian Air Force medical team attends to a displaced person in Borno State in north-east Nigeria

Camp leaders have continued to complain of mosquito bites and other health conditions common in the rainy season.

One of the displaced persons, who had received medical care from the military medics, said: “We have been having problems with our health because the rainy season and mosquitoes. Many of us are just lying down and there were no drugs but we thank God for the help that has now come our way.”

Commanding Officer of the NAF Medical Center Wing Commander, Solomon Illiya, stressed the need to set up preventive measures.

“After visiting camps, I always liaise with the camps’ clinics and international donor agencies, like ICRC UNICEF and other indigenous organisations like NEMA on the need to provide basic necessities like insecticides treated nets and soaps to improve their hygiene.

“I have been in contact with them to ensure that they carry out those advices so that there would be improvement on the health of the IDPs.

“In the coming days, there is the need for humanitarian workers to step up hygiene and anti-malaria campaigns among the Internally Displaced in their care.” (Channels TV)

•Photo shows IDPs

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