UMTH raises capacity to treat Boko Haram victims

By : Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri

Date: 21 April 2019 5:14am WAT

People pack the rest of their belongings following an attack, at the Sajeri village, on the outskirts of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, on January 8, 2019. - Fighters of the Islamic State group-backed Boko Haram and loyal to the factional leader Abubakar Shekau attacked Sajeri village on the outskirts of the Nigerian city Maiduguri, killing three people. At the same time, militants aligned to Boko Haram faction attacked a military facility in Auno, some 23 kilometres (15 miles) south of the city. (Photo by Audu MARTE / AFP)

The University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) has raised its bed capacity to 1, 000 with the establishment of physical rehabilitation, burn, trauma centres and a Child Institute.

Chief Medical Director, UMTH, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo disclosed this in Maiduguri, while briefing journalists on the overstretched facilities for treating victims of Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP).

According to him, the hospital’s existing facilities are over-stretched due to prolong insurgency lasting more than a decade in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

His words: “I am calling on good people of the area and organisations to support this hospital. This will enable it to re-position and enhance its healthcare delivery services in the Northeast.
“Many health personnel had left the hospital with increased influx of people into Maiduguri metropolis, due to 10-year Boko Haram insurgency.

“This trend has overstretched our capacity to meet the specialized health needs of society.
He said the hospital has embarked on the construction of Ultra-Modern
Trauma Centre to address medical complications and health needs of victims of Boko Haram insurgency in Northeast.