The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Waidi Shaibu, has said there’s a need for integrated administrative protocols and stronger inter-agency collaboration to enhance medical services and the overall welfare of Nigerian Army personnel.

Mr Shaibu made this known on Tuesday in Abuja while receiving the managing director and chief executive officer of Defence Health Maintenance Limited (DHML), Azeeze Afolayan, during a courtesy visit to the Army Headquarters.

This is contained in a statement by the acting director of army public relations, Appolonia Anele, on Tuesday in Abuja.

The COAS said the increasing complexity of military operations across the country required a responsive and modern healthcare system capable of sustaining both the physical and mental readiness of troops.

He emphasised that personnel welfare must go beyond active service, noting that the Nigerian Army remained committed to the well-being of its veterans.

“Retirement often comes with socio-economic challenges. The man must survive after years of dedicated service.

“Our responsibility to personnel does not end when they leave the colours,” he said.

Mr Shaibu also highlighted the importance of institutional memory, describing Mr Afolayan as an “insider” whose continued contributions after retirement reflect the value of experience in strengthening military systems.

Earlier, Mr Afolayan called for the institutionalisation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) in human resources and administrative units within military medical services.

He said standardised processes and documentation were essential for efficient healthcare delivery, stressing the need to move away from ad-hoc systems to structured, policy-driven operations.

According to him, accurate personnel data management and administrative efficiency are critical to ensuring timely medical support for troops and their families.

Mr Afolayan further outlined a framework for optimising the use of secondary care providers (SCPs), noting that expanding such facilities would enhance the distribution of medical personnel and improve access to specialised care.

He added that leveraging well-equipped SCPs would enable the army to deliver cost-effective and efficient healthcare services, particularly for personnel deployed in operational theatres.

(NAN)