Army Donates VVF Ward to Sokoto Hospital

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

The people of Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State were full of joy as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, donated fully equipped Vesicular Vaginal Fistula (VVF) ward to Goronyo General Hospital.

Speaking at the commissioning of the VVF ward, the National President of Nigerians Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA) Mrs.  Salamatu Yahaya, described the project as one of the special civil/military cooperation intervention projects that is aimed at winning the hearts and minds of Nigerians by complementing existing infrastructures.

She added that the Nigerian Army belonged to Nigerians and as such they must partner in ensuring that Nigeria is safe and secured.

The hospital ward was constructed under the Chief of Army Staff, Army-Civil Relationship in the country.

She further said that the project was conceived to support VVF victims and to complement government and donors efforts toward enhancing VVF treatment and services.

The wife of the COAS expressed optimism that the ward would assist in ensuring smooth patients’ treatment, care and workers services, adding that Goronyo Hospital was selected in view of high concentration of VVF patients from Nigeria and neighboring country of Niger Republic.

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

According to her, the association is concerned about the plights of women suffering from VVF, and in recognition of distinct efforts of Sokoto’s treatment centre, the NAOWA deemed it fit to support them. 

The NAOWA’s president commended the COAS for the foresight to consider VVF patients and their vulnerability in the society along with women empowerment at large in his community support programmes.

She urged fistula patients to come forward to access the services as VVF is curable and experts are available to treat them at all times. 

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

She lauded the leadership of NAOWA under Salamatu Yahaya on their efforts to address challenges faced by women and called on the hospital’s management to ensure proper use of the facility.

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

The benefiting women were trained at Eagle Net Vocational Training Center, which is located at 8 Division of Nigeria Army, Sokoto.

Yahaya said that the center was commissioned in October 2019, with students on tailoring, knitting, soap making, saloon services.

She said that the effort was to make soldiers wives and others more productive through engagement on viable business ventures and reiterated that NAOWA’s commitment to expand the services and supports.

She said: ‘’78 trained women will get starter packs and N5,000 each to commence business.

‘’I urged you, beneficiaries, to make good use of business instruments to support your respective families.’’ 

Earlier, the wife of the GOC of the 8 Division, Mrs. Florence Mutkut, said the center has also introduced Information and Communication Technology (ICT), music, leather works and catering services classes.

She further announced the change of center’s name from Eagle Net to NAOWA Training Center in order to have more corporates attractions and services.