Nigerian Army has set up a modern rehabilitation centre for soldiers injured in combat and non-combat operations in the country at the 44 Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna.
The centre was established with support from the German Government under an agreement signed in December 2017, through the instrumentality of the German Technical Assistance Group (GTAG).
Speaking at the occassion, Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, who inaugurated the centre in Kaduna on Wednesday said the GTAG had also reflected positively in key sphere of capacity development and expansion in the armed forces.
Represented by the Chief of Logistics, Defence Headquarters, Major General Mohammed Garba, Dan-Ali said the centre is remarkable and fully equipped with state of the art facilities.
“It is yet another major milestone in the efforts to provide optimal healthcare intervention to our troops and indeed highly commendable. It will facilitate the provision of highly needed rehabilitation services to troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces,” he said.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Brigadier General Nathaniel Okeji, said ensuring troops’ health after injury or debilitating illness is dependent on effective and total medical care covering preventive, curative and rehabilitative.
“The ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency has resulted in a dramatic increase in devastating injuries to troops like brain and spinal injuries, surgical and traumatic amputation, burns and psychological injuries,” he noted.
According to him, a holistic care for wounded soldiers comprises evacuation, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation.
He stressed that the rehabilitation stage was key to ensuring that the affected personnel gets fully integrated into service.
Also, the Deputy German Ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs Regina Hess, said both German and Nigerian armies were proud of the project.
She said the project was implemented on the true spirit of partnership.
“We promise to help Nigeria in the fight against terrorism and we decide to build this centre with the cooperation of the Nigerian armed forces,” she said.
