The 1 Division Nigerian Army, Kaduna, on Saturday inaugurated a renovated primary school, offered free medical treatment to 3,000 people and donated 250 treated mosquito nets to pregnant women at Sayen Lemu village, Zaria Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Mohammed, disclosed this during a medical outreach and inauguration of two renovated blocks of classrooms.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the medical outreach included free medical screening for hypertension, diabetes, kidney and eye diseases.
Others include mass de-worming, dental care, provision of lenses and reading glasses, health education, hepatitis B and HIV screening.
The outreach also witnessed the distribution of about 240 treated mosquito nets and free medical consultation to expectant mothers.
Mohammed explained that the army community engagement programme was aimed at winning the confidence of the people in the Army and the Armed Forces in general.
The GOC explained that the Army was not only formed for war but also to provide succour to all communities under its area of responsibility so as to get their cooperation, especially in information gathering as well as encouraging youths to join the Armed Forces and move the country forward.
He noted that the programme was in line with the directive of the Chief of Army Staff to all formations to promote civil-military relations.
The GOC said beneficiaries with minor cases would be given on the spot treatment, while those with critical cases would be referred to Kaduna for further treatment.
He noted that the idea of renovating the two blocks of classrooms was conceived to complement efforts of reducing the number of out of school children, assuring that the division would in the next few weeks construct boreholes to ease water scarcity in the community.
The Vice Chairman, Zaria Local Government Council, Malam Aliyu Ibrahim, expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Army for the kind gesture and pledged to complement the effort.
NAN also reports that some of the communities that benefitted from the Division’s medical outreach this year include Kasuwan Magani, Buruku, Kakangi, Tegina, Kawo, Pandogari and Sayen Lemu.