By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has commissioned a state of the art medical facility in 401 Special Forces Brigade, Makurdi.
The Army Chief inaugurated the facility in a colourful ceremony held on Wednesday 8 May 2024, at the Joe Akahan Military Cantonment, Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
TheFact Daily recalls that on Tuesday, Lagbaja, at the opening ceremony of the Combat Arms Training (CAT) at Jaji Military Cantonment in Kaduna State, reiterated his commitment to ensuring the highest standards of administration to enhance the welfare of Nigerian Army personnel and their families, emphasizing that it will boost troops’ morale and ultimately enhance operational effectiveness.
According to him, the ongoing intervention in NA medical facilities is only one of the numerous efforts to upgrade NA welfare facilities in line with the Sound Administration beam of his Command Philosophy, adding that the Makurdi project is a model design for the development of other medical facilities in the NA, and that similar interventions have since commenced in the brigade medical centres in Lokoja and Ikeja Cantonment, Lagos, while that of the Gibson Jalo Cantonment, Yola, is next in line.
He asserted his belief in adequate support for the home front and good welfare package necessary to strengthen the moral component of fighting power, emphasizing that “when our troops are well-led and well-catered for, they will fight well to secure our dear country from internal and external threats”.
The medical centre, which is said to be off the national grid, was installed with a 150KVA solar smart inverter system with a 100KVA diesel-powered generator as backup in the rainy season and periods of heavy cloud cover.
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the centre is also equipped with basic life support machines to save lives before referral to a higher or more advanced tertiary facility, should the need arise.
Additionally, for the delivery of pregnant women in the Cantonment, the labour and maternity wards have equally been upgraded to eradicate maternal and infant mortality, often occasioned by lack of essential equipment.
Shedding more light on the viability of the project, the Army Chief averred that, “it is an aggressive drive to enhance the standard of living of our warriors and members of their families. It is the government’s way of appreciating their sacrifices and boosting their morale”.
He charged the 401 Special Forces Brigade community to take ownership of the facility
and put it to good use by ensuring it is accorded adequate maintenance at all times.
The COAS thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the support the NA has continued to receive from the federal government. He equally appreciated the minister and other leadership of the Ministry of Defence, as well the Chief of Defence Staff for their guidance and encouragement.
The Commander 4 Special Forces Command, Major General Hillary Nzan, who also spoke at the commissioning ceremony, noted that the medical facility will not only bring succour to the cantonment community, but also to the adjoining communities, as its services will be open to the civil populace. He lauded the COAS for berthing the initiative and bringing it to actualization.
