The Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar, has commissioned a 20-bed Isolation ward as part of efforts of the Nigerian Air Force to contribute to checking the spread of Coronavirus pandemic.
Also commissioned was an ultra-modern Olympic standard swimming pool, all at NAF Base Bauchi.
Speaking at the ceremony on Friday in Bauchi, Abubakar explained that the 20-bed Isolation Ward was part of the NAF’s contributions in the fight against Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
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He said the construction and commissioning of the Isolation Ward was a testament of the NAF’s resolve to ensure that its hospitals were properly equipped.
The CAS also added that equipping the hospitals was also for them to be able to face the contemporary challenges of medical practice in today’s world, especially in response to emerging infectious disease threats globally.
Abubakar said that NAF in the recent past had contributed and would continue to contribute its own quota to the fight against COVID-19.
He said that it provided air services in support of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control as well as embarked on the mass production of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for its hospitals.
“Medical-grade oxygen has also been provided for government hospitals from the 103 STG LOX plant in Yola.
”And recently, we rerolled the Nigerian C-130 as an air ambulance that can medically evacuate 98 patients safely to locations with capable hospitals,” he said
According to him, the task of nation-building is a collective responsibility especially with the dynamics of the current security challenges facing our country.
“It is, therefore, our duty to continue to generate excellent combat elements that can appropriately protect the lives and property of our citizens.
Abubakar stated that there was a need for continuous training and proactiveness, guaranteed with a healthy workforce.
He said that the Olympic standard pool was designed to ensure that trainee Special Force’s personnel received robust well-rounded training, including watermanship skills, to enable them to operate effectively in marine and riverine terrains.
“The quality of our training efforts gratifyingly has continued to be reflected in the performance of our personnel, who are recording overwhelming successes in the fight against insurgency, banditry and kidnapping,” he said.
Earlier, Air Vice Marshall Charles Owho, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Special Operations Command, Bauchi, commended the CAS for uplifting the Nigerian Air Force to greater heights which, he said, was yielding great results.
“Today, we are witnessing the commissioning of an Isolation Ward and Ultra Modern Olympic Swimming Pool,” he said.
Owho said the projects once again brought to fore the resolve of the CAS to meet the physical and welfare needs of the officers and men of the Nigerian Air Force.
The AOC explained that the isolation ward would no doubt enhance safer medical practice by checking the spread of infectious diseases and enhancing infection prevention and control, especially in the rising COVID-19 cases across the country.
“It is worthy to note that the Olympic size swimming pool was built to enhance the swimming capabilities of the NAF Special Operations Force who are sometimes deployed in marine or riverine areas,” he said.
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