As part of efforts to end maternal mortality and improve women and children’s health in military host communities, wife of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Mrs Oghogho Musa, has commissioned a maternity ward at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna.
Commissioning the facility, yesterday, she noted that the new facility is not just open for military, but also civilians in need of medical attention.
Mrs Musa, who doubles as the President, Defence and Police Officers Wives’ Association, (DEPOWA), described the initiative “as part of civil-military engagement for provision of healthcare facilities for the military and their host community at NDA, Kaduna.”
In her address, the DEPOWA president said the decision to establish the health facility was informed by the alarm raised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that “a pregnant woman dies in every two minutes” due to pregnancy because of inadequate care.
At the commissioning, the Commandant, NDA, Maj-Gen John Ochai, said the facility is equipped with the most modern healthcare facilities as regards maternity services, which will help improve the lives of women and children of its host community.
Former president of DEPOWA, Vickie Irabor, whom the hospital was named after, expressed gratitude for the gesture, promising to continue to support the association and the Federal Government for national security and development.
Executive Chairman, Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS), Jerry Adams, said Governor Uba Sani and KADIRS would continue to collaborate with the hospital to ensure healthcare for the people.
In his remarks, Executive Secretary, Primary Health Care Service Board, Kaduna State, Dr Jamo Yusuf, said the event marked “a significant milestone” to enhance healthcare delivery, particularly personnel, who dedicated themselves to protecting the country from criminals and external aggression, adding that establishment of the health facility would go a long way in tackling healthcare challenges in the military barracks, their host community and the state.
Yusuf also said the collaboration between the military and the state government was yielding positive results in the Kaduna health sector.
