Last year, 6 internally displaced persons (IDPs) died at the IDP camp, Abuja because they had no health care facilities while 25 women delivered without any medical attention.
The Secretary of the camp, Mr. Bala Yusuf, said this at the weekend, when Mr. Sam Worlu, the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), paid a visit to the camp and he also donated 200 radio sets to the IDPs so that they can also be informed about the events in the country.
The 1,539 IDPs consisting of 1173 adults and 366 children lacked healthcare facility until when wife of Inspector General of Police, Mrs. Agharese Arase visited the camp and was moved by their predicament so she directed them to get medical care at the police clinic, Area 1, Garki.
Yusuf, however, complained that their large number has made the facilities of the police clinic insufficient because of the myriad of diseases they suffered.
In addition, the directive given by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for the IDPs to receive medical treatments from the Asokoro General Hospital hasn’t really been helpful because the facility was far from the camp and they don’t have vehicles nor money transport them especially in emergency situation.
Spokesman of the IDPs gave kudos to the Chief Medical Advisor of Garki Hospital; Dr. Ibrahim Wada whom he said was the only person that ever availed them of medical care in the camp and also to the wife of the Inspector General of Police, Mrs. Arase; without her no one can predict the condition they will be now, because cholera, measles, malaria, and other disease outbreak would have wiped them out.
The spokesman added that IDPs would only feel like citizens of Nigeria, when the Federal Government provide them with accommodation, healthcare and other necessary amenities.
Earlier, the DG VON said the organisation was in the camp to identify with the IDPs, assuring them that government and the armed forces are bent on defeating insurgency so that they can return to their homes.
He explained that the transistor radio sets would enable them get authentic information about happenings in the world, particularly the gallant efforts of the armed forces in the troubled north east region.
