Flood Victims Get Free Medical Services

At least 1,200 people in the Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi state have been tested, with many of them having diseases such as malaria, ammonia and other skin diseases following the devastation of the recent floods in the area.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Mohammed Ali Pate, said that some people were also tested for other severe diseases like tuberculosis, with those that cannot be treated at the outreach being referred to hospital and surgical intervention where they would get treatment.

The Minister, who was in Azare yesterday to sympathize with the people affected by the devastating floods, expressed worrisome that Bauchi has, this time, been hit by severe episodes of flooding affecting many local government areas of the state.

The Minister said, “Whoever comes here to this outreach will be checked, examined, diagnosed, and treated freely. Already today, they have seen more than 1200 people who have been tested, and many of them have diseases like malaria, ammonia, and skin conditions. Some have been tested for serious diseases like tuberculosis.”

According to him, “Those who cannot be treated at the outreach are referred to the hospital, some are referred for surgical intervention, where they would get treatment. It’s about access to healthcare delivery in an emergency situation.”

“Today, we have also seen the medical outreach, which is being sponsored jointly by the Nigerian Medical Association and the Chigari Foundation, in support of many partners to help those displaced access free basic medical healthcare services, ” the minister said.

Prof. Ali Pate, who also holds the traditional title of Chigarin Misau, explained that a lot were treated for primary diseases like malaria and hypertension, saying it is a tough time that they have to do everything humanly possible to provide relief to the people.

“So this is why we are here, and we have also seen the tremendous work they have been doing, being carried out by health professionals, collectively, medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses, lab scientists, all trying to support our communities in this tough time”, Pate said.

He explained that they were only, but he was sure that in many parts of the country, many people would be struggling. The government is doing all it can to ensure that they bring relief to the people. CSOs, like the Chigari Foundation and many others, are also mobilising to support Communities.

“We have an internally displaced population, and we have to do everything to support our communities in these difficult times. We also expressed our sympathy to His Royal Highness, the Emir of Katagum, and the people of Katagum emirate today. This is an unfortunate situation.”

“Through the Chigari foundation, the nine local government areas will also receive our contributions, but there are many channels of contributions. I know that the state government would also have to mobilise, I know that through federal government indigenes that are responsible for emergencies, they will also respond”.

Prof. Mohammed Pate said, however, that the Chigari Foundation, a privately funded community development organization, has stepped up and partnered with medical professionals under the umbrella of the Nigerian Medical Association. Other health professionals have also joined hands to support our communities in this difficult time.

The minister further revealed that, in reaching the nine local government areas in the Bauchi North, the Chigari foundation is targeting direct support to at least 250 people who have been directly affected by this unfortunate situation.

“That is just a contribution; there are other sources, and we call on others to also follow this example, and there are mosquito nets that have also been distributed and so many different things, but we hope that communities, wealthy Nigerians, philanthropists, civil society organisations, development associations would all join hands to support the communities.

“There are relevant government agencies in the state, and also at the federal level that is already working very hard, and here where they are, as you can see, there are temporary shelters because, in times of emergencies, you support first to save lives, provide temporary placement and then the recovery period and the rehabilitation and the rebuilding and reconstruction will take place”.

Minister Ali Pate concluded, “At the end of the day, our communities are very resilient, and we are confident that they will rebuild, and this community will emerge, just as this country and the state will emerge stronger.”

For his part, Dr Yusuf Bappa, Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association in Bauchi state, said the outreach is all about assisting people who were ravaged by the flood disaster in this zone.

“The flood displaced them from their locations, and most of them were relocated to this area now referred to as an IDP camp.

“The outreach is to attend to their basic medical needs, which is done in collaboration with the Chigari Foundation. During the outreach, we have been able to treat more than 1,000 children, women and men with various degrees of ailment, and we have treated them.

“Those that could not be attended are referred to the Federal Medical Centre for more care,” he said.

Responding, the Emirs of Misau and Katagum, Alh Ahmed Suleiman and Alhaji Umar Faruk thanked the minister for a visit and described him as a worthy son of the Misau Emirate council.

They commended the minister for his immense contributions to the development of the Misau Emirate council, Bauchi state, and Nigeria at large.