COAS donates VVF ward to Sokoto hospital

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Faruk Yahaya, has donated a fully equipped Vesico Vaginal Fistula patients’ ward to the Goronyo General Hospital in Goronyo Local Government Area, Sokoto State.

The hospital ward was constructed under the Chief of Army Staff’s army-civil relations in the country.

Inaugurating the ward at the general hospital, the National President of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association, Hajia Salamatu Yahaya, said the project was conceived to support VVF victims, government as well as donors’ efforts toward enhancing VVF treatment and services.

She expressed optimism that the ward would contribute in ensuring smooth patient treatment, care and workers’ services, adding that Goronyo Hospital was selected in view of the high concentration of VVF patients from Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

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“COAS had approved the construction of the VVF ward in the last eight months and completed it on Jan. 30, this year. It was equipped with all the necessary facilities for VVF treatment and a hospital ward,” Yahaya said.

According to her, the association was concerned with the plights of women suffering from VVF, and in recognition of the distinct efforts of Sokoto treatment centre, NAOWA deemed it fit to give them support in the same manner given in other places.

She urged fistula patients to come forward to access the services.

Yahaya noted that VVF was curable and experts were available to treat at all times as well as ensure that support was given to VVF victims in the country.

In her remark, the wife of the General Officer Commanding and state Chairperson of NAOWA, Mrs Florence Makut, said the newly constructed fistula ward would help to restore the dignity of women in society.

She lauded the leadership of the association’s National President, Salamatu Yahaya, on the efforts towards addressing the challenges faced by women, and called on the hospital management to ensure proper use of the facility.

In a related development, NAOWA President also launched the distribution of working tools to 78 trained women under the NAOWA empowerment support programme in Giginya barracks, Sokoto.

The beneficiaries were trained at Eagle Net Vocational Training Center located at 8 Division of Nigeria Army, Sokoto.

Yahaya said the centre was commissioned in October 2019, with students specialising on tailoring, knitting, soap making, and saloon services.

She explained that the effort was to make soldiers’ wives and others more productive by engaging in viable business ventures, reiterating NAOWA’s commitment to expanding the services and supports.

“78 trained women will get starter packs and N5,000 each to commence business.

“I urge beneficiaries to make good use of business instruments to support your respective families,” Yahaya said.