February 23, (THEWILL) – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said it has built a clinic with medical supplies worth $179,000 to improve quality health services delivery destroyed by Boko Haram conflicts.
The UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Phuong T. Nguyen, stated this on Friday, during the handing over of the newly built Hajj Transit Camp Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC), to the Borno State Government.
The global agency has also revealed that the shortage of health workers, caused by the violent conflict, prevented the delivery of quality services to children and their families in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states.
Ms Phuong noted that Hajj Camp has occasionally been overcrowded and at some point held 22,000 individuals, adding that the camp has had outbreaks of measles and cholera with women and children being the most affected.
“This year we have Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO), 2024, estimates that a quarter of health facilities in northeast Nigeria have been destroyed or are non-functional, while shortage of health workers, medical equipment and essential medical supplies have impeded the delivery of quality health services to children and their families.
“Today UNICEF is handing over a newly built clinic and essential medical supplies worth over $179,000 will improve the access to quality health care delivery for children and families affected by armed conflict.
“This is to make sure that we are able to provide support needed to women and children who are affected by the conflicts.
She said the newly built health facility is supported with funding from the German Development Bank (BMZ&KFW) and designed for the delivery of essential packages of primary health care services.
“This will enhance the quality of service delivery to vulnerable newborns, pregnant women and children who are in transit and are being rehabilitated for resettlement.
“It is equipped with basic medical equipment and furniture like delivery beds, baby dressing tables, bed screens, stretchers, bedside trolleys, examination tables, and oxygen concentration, among others.
“The health facility is also equipped with an alternative power supply source(solar) to ensure 24-hour service”, she disclosed.
The Secretary to the Borno State Government, Dr Bukar Tijjani thanked the global agency for timely intervention and promised that the newly built clinic would go a long way in ameliorating the suffering of the affected populace in the Hajj camp.
It would be recalled that Hajj Camp is the centre where the repentant Boko Haram insurgents and their families have been kept since the massive surrender began three years ago.
I am Ladi Dapson, a general writer with thewill. I cover Borno and Yobe states respectively.
I based Maiduguri, Borno State Capital.
I can be reached via [email protected].
Very high and kind regards!
