A humanitarian organization, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Sunday said it had deployed more than 1, 700 personnel to Borno to provide emergency support services to communities ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency. The organisation also known as ‘MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES’, said it was providing intervention in the areas of health care delivery, food and nutrition support as well as water and sanitation services.
Mr Moctar Abassi, the MSF’s Head of Mission, told newsmen in Maiduguri that the personnel included 1, 600 Nigerians and 130 expatriates. Abassi said that the organisation had extended its outreach to 11 locations, to enable it render support to the displaced persons and vulnerable persons in the state.
He listed the benefitting areas to include Maiduguri, Pulka, Gwoza, Monguno, Damasak, Benisheik, Dikwa, Banki, Ngala, Rann and Bama. “MSF is running 11 health centres, including seven in-patient therapeutic and nine out-patient feeding centres. “In 2016, the organisation provided a range of quality medical and nutritional services to both displaced persons and host communities,” he said.
Abassi disclosed that the organization had provided free medical treatment to over 290, 000 out patients and conducted 56, 160 antenatal consultations while 5, 181 deliveries were recorded.
He added that the organization had also immunised 87, 900 children against measles and distributed over 1099.2 tonnes of food items under its nutrition support services. Commenting on water and sanitation services, Abassi said that 282 latrines were constructed,38 tanks and 87 taps were provided to the affected communities.
