The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has conducted more than 19,000 free surgeries on victims of armed conflicts at the Maiduguri Specialist Hospital since its inception in 2015.

Adal-Elah Tailkh, the ICRC’s administration officer at the hospital, told reporters in Maiduguri on Wednesday that the surgical unit admitted 279 patients and conducted 1,090 procedures in the first eight months of 2023.

Mr Tailkh said the unit had been providing surgical care for blast victims—those with gunshot wounds—and had trained health personnel in Borno.

“Beyond the free surgical care, the project works with the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital’s Physical Rehabilitation Centre, where it refers patients in need,’’ Mr Tailkh said.

Some blast and gunshot victims receiving treatment at the hospital lauded ICRC’s relief efforts. 

A 30-year-old pregnant woman, Zainab Abdulrahman, receiving gunshot treatment, said she was a victim of insurgents’ activities on August 15 while travelling in a commercial vehicle inside Borno. 

“I was hit by three bullets in my legs and thigh. The army brought me here for treatment.

“This is my second time coming here for free treatment. Three years ago, I was here for nine months after I was hit in the stomach in a Boko Haram attack,’’ she said.

Another victim, 25-year-old Auwal Danladi, said he was first brought to the unit in 2015 due to injuries from a bomb blast in Damaturu.

Mr Danladi said he was treated and discharged but had to return after some years due to complications.

Also, some Borno Ministry of Health employees benefitted from training opportunities provided by the ICRC and said it provided them with experience and modern facilities that eased their jobs.

Kalakwa Abdulmumin, a consultant, said the ICRC intervention allowed him and some other personnel to sharpen their skills.

(NAN)