Some IDPs

By Abdallah el-Kurebe

The Director General (DG) of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammad Sani Sidi has called for deployment of more medical doctors and others health personnel to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camps to improve their healthcare. 

A press release signed and issued by the Senior Information Officer of the Agency, Sani Datti on Thursday stated that the DG made the appeal when he led a team of Health Policy Specialists and Clinicians for an on-the-spot Health needs assessment and strategy appraisal at IDPs camps in Maiduguri, Borno State.

Sidi explained that the assessment was to determine the medical and health related challenges affecting 
IDPs camps in Maiduguri and host communities as well as liberated communities with emphasis on children, maternal care and vulnerable persons.    

The DG added that there were twelve (12) satellite camps that have currently been set up in liberated communities without adequate health personnel. “Even though the Agency has an MoU with the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and working relationship with other secondary health facilities for referral cases, these camps need to have medical personnel for immediate treatment of  cases.”

“Bakassi camp, which is accommodating 11,819 IDPs had recorded 27 new births as well as 3,393 out-patient consultations in the month of February with only one Medical doctor from UNICEF and some few health personnel attending to them,” the statement continued.

He appealed to volunteer doctors who were willing to be deployed to camps in liberated communities to come forward and join the ones on ground, promising that adequate security measures and incentives would be provided.

Common health problems identified in some of the camps, according to the Agency included Hypertension, Diabetes, mellitus, Eye problems, Malaria, Peptic Ulcer disease and Malnutrition.  

Some of the challenges noted down include inadequate health personnel and lack of steady supply of desirable drugs and medicaments.

The satellite camps are in Dikwa, Mafa, Damboa, Baga, Bama, Gwoza, Askira Uba. Others include Sabon Garin- Damboa, Beneishek, Ngamborou Ngala, Baki and Kondiga.