The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to strengthening its healthcare system to sustain military operations and preserve the combat effectiveness of troops.
Lieutenant General Shaibu stated this in Kaduna while commissioning the newly completed Waidi Shaibu Critical Care Centre at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital (44 NARH), alongside a modern helipad designed to facilitate the rapid medical evacuation of injured personnel from operational theatres.
According to an official statement signed by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the COAS said timely access to quality medical care was critical to troop morale, recovery rates and the overall operational readiness of the Nigerian Army.
He explained that the newly commissioned Critical Care Centre was equipped to handle trauma, intensive care and other complex medical cases, thereby reducing the need to refer critically injured or ill personnel to medical facilities outside the military.
“The strength of any fighting force is not measured by weapons alone, but also by the quality of care given to those who bear the burden of national security,” Shaibu said.
The Army Chief stressed that the Nigerian Army would continue to upgrade medical infrastructure across its formations and units to meet contemporary operational and healthcare demands.
He also commended the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, for his foresight in the construction of the helipad during his tenure as Chief of Army Staff.
Shaibu described the helipad as a critical enabler that would significantly reduce the time required to evacuate casualties from operational theatres, thereby improving their chances of survival and recovery.
The COAS charged medical personnel at 44 NARH to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and ensure the optimal utilisation and maintenance of the newly commissioned facilities.
