Nigerian Army on Monday took a swipe at an anonymous captain who claimed that officers and soldiers wounded in the north East during the war against Boko Haram terrorists are unduly treated medically.
As a result of the damning allegations despite efforts and huge resources said to be provided by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen Tukur Buratai to ensure that the welfare needs of troops are provided for, the army said it became expedite to set the record straight by intimating members of the public that “the story was untrue and not a reflection of the realities on ground.”
It was gathered that the anonymous captain had written a letter to the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammadu Buhari that he had served in the north east and was wounded in 2014 but the Nigerian Army has not treated him.
It was further learnt that the Captain posted the letter online which drew the attention of the army authorities and on the base of that, the Chief of Army Staff mandated members of the press to be taken round 68 Reference Hospital, Yaba wards to see soldiers that were wounded and interact with them with a view to knowing how they are treated medically.
According to the Acting Chief Medical Director, 68 Reference Hospital, Yaba, Brig Gen Adekola Dada, the Chief of Staff, 81 Division, Brig Gen Hamisu Hassan and other senior medical officers conducted journalists through the Orthopaedic ward, female surgical ward and other facilities in the hospital.
Brig Gen Dada explained that “It is rather unfortunate that this kind of misinformation will go on the internet considering what the military authorities have done to take care of those wounded in action.
“The COAS has always taken the welfare and fitness of the soldiers as very paramount in the northeast and other operations we are engaging in. He devotes a lot of energy and resources on the medical needs of officers and soldiers.
“Once a soldier is wounded, he is evacuated to the Base Hospital depending on the nature of injury. They can actually be managed locally at the 7 Division Hospital, Maiduguri, take care and stabilizes the wounded immediately.
“In severe cases, such patient is moved to 44 Reference Hospital, Kaduna and the paper work starts immediately. However, when setting up medical board, we have to examine the patient; know his status and that takes about five days.
“We have only one wounded soldier here who sustained fracture of the right tibia during obstacle training at Buni Yadi in Borno state. The reduction in the number of patients is commiserate with the fact that we are decimating the insurgents. Initially, we have high number of casualties but now it is reducing.
“We have some patients referred abroad and as I speak to you, we just received approval for seven patients to be treated abroad and they will be on their way in the next few days to Indian for treatment. They were wounded in action in the north east.
“With what we have done and still doing, it beats my imagination that such allegation is coming up. There is no time as those wounded in action have been vigorously taken care of as now and thousands of dollars are involved in each person’s treatment. There are some soldiers whose treatment goes as much as between 25,000 and 40,000 dollars. And we pay estacode and for the medical escort too.
Gen Dada reiterated that Lt Gen Buratai was doing alot to cut down the number of soldiers sent abroad for treatment hence reequipping of military hospitals and also collaborating with some hospitals in Kaduna and CIDACREST in Abuja for medical needs for our patients. Now, every battalion has a doctor to take care of medical needs of personnel.
Speaking, Sergeant Ahmed Abdullahi, a wounded soldier serving at 19 Battalion, Okitipupa sustained fracture of the right tibia during obstacle training at Buni Yadi, said he was treated well and all medical needs are provided by the authority.
It would be recalled that the anonymous Captain wrote that “I was wounded in the fight 2014 and up till now, I am still laying in the hospital without my surgery, reason been that, the Nigerian army claim there is no money for our treatment for now.
“Most of us with surgical issues came in here for over years, as usual in the military, a medical board was done with an outcome of a total estimate of our surgery some as low as two hundred thousand and above but we would be left without the surgery for years and we ask the medical director, we were shocked to be told that, the army headquarters have not approved it and something have not released money for our treatment,” the allegation added.
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