By:Babagana Bukar Wakil, Maiduguri
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, in collaboration with troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), has launched a free medical outreach targeting several communities in Borno State, including Bolori, Baga Road, Ummarari, Jajeri, and Kuwait.
The two-day initiative is designed to provide residents of Maiduguri Metropolis and Jere Local Government Area with access to essential medical screening and treatment at no cost.
The outreach was formally unveiled on Thursday at Immaculate Secondary School along Baga Road in Maiduguri. Representing the CDS at the event, the Chief of Defence Civil-Military Relations, Rear Admiral Olusanya Bankole, commended the Theatre Commander of OPHK, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, and his troops for their continued efforts in combating terrorism using both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies.
Rear Admiral Bankole, who had earlier represented the CDS at a four-day Human Security and Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Workshop, emphasized that the medical outreach is part of the Nigerian military’s broader civil responsibility to host communities, especially those situated near military barracks.
The recently concluded CIMIC workshop brought together personnel from the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and civil society organizations including Al-Amin Foundation. These stakeholders also took part in the outreach program.
“This initiative was undertaken at the directive of the Chief of Defence Staff in collaboration with the Defence Headquarters and Operation Hadin Kai. It is aimed at delivering free medical care to surrounding communities,” Bankole said.
He noted the impressive turnout and assured residents that the military would attend to everyone present. “For cases that cannot be treated on site, referrals will be made to appropriate military medical facilities or the Medical Retention Services,” he added.
Bankole also conveyed General Musa’s message urging community members to continue supporting the military and their families in the collective effort to restore peace and stability to Borno, the wider Northeast, and Nigeria as a whole.
Our correspondent observed that hundreds of residents turned up for the medical outreach. Many expressed gratitude to the CDS, the Theatre Commander, and OPHK troops for their selfless service and for providing much-needed healthcare support to their communities.
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