Flood: Health Minister, Ali-Pate Provides Medical Outreach to Displaced People

Health Minister, Dr. Muhammad Ali-Pate

 

By Idris Ayinde

Dr. Muhammad Ali-Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare has provided medical outreach to flood victims in Bauchi state.

Speaking while inspecting the outreach in Misau and Katagum Local Government Areas of the state on Sunday, Pate said that the outreach was available to as many victims as possible.

According to him, the outreach was a collaboration of his privately funded Non-governmental organisation, Chigari foundation and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

While visiting the temporary Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP)’s camp in Azare, the headquarters of Katagum LGA, the Minister lauded the diligence and professionalism exhibited by the medical practitioners attending to the people.

“The people are getting treatment for basic diseases like malaria, Pneumonia, hypertension, and others because in these difficult times, we have to do everything we can to provide relief to the people of our country.

“We have seen the tremendous work that is being carried out by health professionals collectively, medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses and lab scientists all trying to support our communities in this difficult time.

“Whoever comes for this outreach would be checked, examined, diagnosed and treated for free.

“Today, they have seen more than 1,200 people who have been tested and many of them are having malaria, Pneumonia, skin conditions and have been treated.

“It’s about access in an emergency situation and here we have internal displaced populations and we have to do everything we can to support our communities in this difficult time,” he said.

The Minister added that through Chigari foundation, all the nine local government areas affected by flood in the state would receive contributions.

He said that the foundation was also targeting to provide direct support to 250 people in each of the LGAs who were directly affected by flood.

Pate called on all well meaning Nigerians to join hands to help communities go through this difficult period across the country.

In his address, Dr. Yusuf Bappa, Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association, Bauchi state, explained that the outreach was about assisting people who were ravaged by the flood disaster that happened in this zone.

He said that over 1,000 children, women and men with various degrees of ailment have been treated at the temporary IDP camp, adding that those that could not be treated were referred to Federal Medical Centre, Azare for treatment.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, a 70 year-old Awawu Umaru, who appreciated the state government for providing them the temporary IDP camp, also expressed gratitude to the minister and NMA for giving them the free medical treatment.

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