The Nigerian Army has said thousands of military personnel have been maimed in the fight against Boko Haram.
This is as the Senate, in a show of empathy, donated N10 million for the treatment of the wounded-in-action soldiers at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna.
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, led the Senate delegation to the military hospital to commiserate with wounded soldiers.
The sympathy visit was part of the activities to mark the second anniversary of the ninth Senate.
Briefing the Senate delegation, the Acting Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Colonel Stephen Onuchukwu, said some wounded soldiers required cutting edge medical facilities to keep them alive.
Onuchukwu, who is an Orthopaedic Consultant, said about 7,403 wounded soldiers in action had so far been evacuated to the 44 Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, treated while some are undergoing rehabilitation.
“While some of the wounded personnel got treated, discharged and return to action, others are maimed.
“Those in this category are the ones with spinal cord injury being assisted with Urethral Implant for them to urinate.
“Others are either waiting for complete fitting of prosthetics for lost limbs or Medical Evacuation to hospitals abroad,” he said.
Onuchukwu said despite the increased capacity of the hospital, some special procedures and treatment are still done abroad.
He appealed to the National Assembly and the federal government to assist the hospital to attain the status of UN Level 4 Hospital.
The Senate President assured Nigerians that the legislature would work with the executive to ensure that the armed forces are properly taken care of and motivated.
He added that the N895 billion supplementary budget recently forwarded to the National Assembly by the Presidency for purchase of military equipment and COVID-19 vaccines would be expeditiously considered and passed and that more funds would be appropriated for the military in the 2022 budget.
“The country’s mounting security [challenges] would expose the military personnel to different forms of injuries, thus the need for more medical facilities to cater for the needs of wounded soldiers.
“We can’t expect so much from you and give you little. That will be unfair. Our armed forces deserve the support of all Nigerians.
“We have to give them adequate resources to protect the country because everything needs peace and security,” he said.
The Senate delegation and the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and the General Officer, 1st Mechanized Division, Major-General Ali Keffi, later visited the wounded-in-action personnel across the various wards.
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