6 die in Abuja IDP Camp

Six internally displaced persons (IDPs) died at the IDP camp, Durumi, Abuja last year because they had no access to health care facilities while over 25 women delivered babies without any medical attention.

Mr. Bala Yusuf, Secretary of the camp disclosed this at the weekend, when the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Sam Worlu visited the camp and donated 200 transistor radio sets to the IDPs to enable them to acquaint themselves with events in the country.

It was learnt that the 1,539 IDPs comprising of 1173 adults and 366 children had no healthcare facility until recently when wife of Inspector General of Police, Mrs. Agharese Arase visited the camp and was touched by their plight that she directed them to get medical care at the police clinic, Area 1, Garki.

Yusuf, however, complained that their large number stretched the facilities of the police clinic because of the myriad of diseases they suffered.

In addition, a directive by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for the IDPs to receive medical treatments from the Asokoro General Hospital could not help much as the facility was far from the camp and they neither have vehicles nor money for transport, especially in emergency situation.

Spokesman of the IDPs also commended the Chief Medical Advisor of Garki Hospital; Dr. Ibrahim Wada whom he said was the only person that ever availed them of medical care in the camp.

“We are very grateful to the wife of the Inspector General of Police, Mrs. Arase; without her I don’t know what our conditions will be now, because cholera, measles, malaria, and other diseases would have wiped us out.

“IDPs would only feel like citizens of Nigeria, when the Federal Government provides us with accommodation, healthcare and other necessary amenities,” the IDPs’ spokesman stated.

Earlier, the DG VON said the organisation was in the camp to identify with the IDPs, assuring them that government and the armed forces were determined to defeat insurgency so that they could return to their homes.

He explained that the transistor radio sets would enable them get authentic information about happenings in the world, particularly the gallant efforts of the armed forces in the troubled north east region.