From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Doctors without Borders has declared its readiness to partner with the Kebbi State Government to deliver health services to the people of the state.
Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu received the team, led by their Head of Mission, Dr Shaukat Muttaqi, at Government House, Birnin Kebbi.
While receiving the team, at the Government House Birnin Kebbi on behalf of the Governor, the Chief of Staff, Alhaji Sulaiman Muhammad Argungu, welcomed the Doctors and expressed happiness about the readiness of the mission to sign an MOU and partnership with the government.
He assured the team that Kebbi State Government would provide an enabling environment for the mission to operate accordingly for optimal performance.
Head of Mission Dr Shaukat Muttaqi explained that their visit was to discuss medical services related to nutritional program and Integrated Community Case Management (ICCM) in a local government area of Kebbi state MSF.
Muttaqi said that the Doctors without Borders intends to start a ten-bed Inpatient therapeutic feeding centre (ITFC)/stabilisation unit with two Ambulatory Therapeutic feeding centres (ATFCs) in Maiyama local government with ICCM services and also provision for IDPs in other LGAs related to environmental health.
According to him, Doctors without Borders are committed to providing free cost medical services to the people of Kebbi state in its initial six-month programme and looking forward to an agreement with the Ministry of Health and Kebbi State to start activities as soon as possible.
He disclosed that their team, which is an International Medical Humanitarian Organization are operating in eight states of Nigeria provides primary, secondary and tertiary health care with quick response to outbreaks.
He added: “Already the team has visited Augie, Maiyama, Shanga, Bagudo, Zuru and Dank Wasagu local government areas during the initial assessment. We are in over 70 countries of the world and we have been in Nigeria for more than 20 years providing support and health services free of charge to Nigerians.
“The team also visited the Commissioner for Health Alhaji Jafar Muhammad Zuru and the Executive Secretary Kebbi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Abubakar Abdullahi Ka’oje, Director Public Health Mr Abubakar Bagudo,” he said.