By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
The Minister of Defence, Maj-Gen Bashir Magashi (rtd) on Wednesday, commissioned the Prosthetics and Orthotics Workshop at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Kaduna.
It is reported that the prosthetics and orthotics workshop was built by German Government through the German Technical Advisory Group (GTAG), and handed over to Nigerian Government.
Magashi said, “I am delighted to receive on behalf of the Federal Government, and good people of Nigeria , the prosthetics workshop constructed here at 44 hospital by the Government of Germany .
The Minister was represented by acting Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence, Dr Olajide Johnson.
Magashi recalled that the German government through GTAG earlier established a rehabilitation clinic and handed it over to Nigerian government in 2019, as part of German support to war efforts against insurgency.
“Within the short time of it’s operation and for the fact that the clinic is the only one of its kind with state-of -the-art medical equipment in Nigeria , it attracted and overwhelming patronage across the country,” he said.
According to him, due to the urgent need for its expansion, the GTAG initiated the expansion of the clinic to accommodate a large turnout of patients, while including a prosthetic workshop.
“I therefore on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, express our profound gratitude to the German Government for this laudable project.
“The Federal Government and particularly, members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain grateful for your support in supplying of medical equipment and provision of technical expertise through GTAG,” he added
He assured the people of Germany of renewed commitment to ensuring that the equipment provided in the workshop and other facilities elsewhere will be judiciously utilized for the benefit of all Nigerians and humanity in general.
“I wish to also reassure you of our utmost desire to sustain this very important collaboration between our armed forces,” he assured.
Earlier, the German Ambassador to Nigerian, Mrs Birgitt Ory, said the handover and commissioning of the prosthetic workshop is another important step in the relationship of both countries.
The Ambassador, presented by by Lt. Col Jens Gliemann, German Technical Advisory Group to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. said that through the so-called “Equipment Aid programme” in short EAP, Germany works with selected countries in Africa, including Nigeria, to improve the operational capability of their armed forces.
She said, in the areas of logistics, maintenance, or medical care.
“In Nigeria, the German government has invested around 20 million euros over the past five years as part of the equipment aid program, around 2.8 million euros went to the rehabilitation Center project in the 44. reference hospital Kaduna.
“The idea to establish this rehabilitation center came to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Buhari, during his visit to the 2015 – G7 Summit in Germany.
“The President had a very friendly and fruitful exchange of views withour former chancellor, Angela Merkel, on bilateral relations, international security and measures to be taken against challenges in the region.
“He outlined several projects that were discussed in the GermanParliament, some of which have been included in the equipment aid program for bilateral cooperation.
“When we built our first rehab clinicbuilding in 2017/2018 with the support of between 2016-2019,I immediately received a commitment that the Germangovernment would like to support this initiative in order to find a medical solution together with other civilian partners.
“We were able to secure one of the largest manufacturers of artificial limps in the world, the German company OTTOBOCK,” she pointed out.
She said, this company is known worldwide as an excellent cooperation partner in the field of prostheses and orthoses.
“They are the main sponsors of the Para Olympics and also support the Invictus Games,” she stressed..
She explained that, In order for Nigeria to be independent in the manufacture of prostheses, we have already started training prosthetic technicians in Germany in 2020.
“They have received oneyear of training and have been certified by international standards.
” In September 2022, Nigeria will have three certified technicians.
“Today we are so far that Nigeria is already starting to produce prostheses.
” The first five patients have already received their new limbs and, in cooperation with the rehabilitation clinic, they will quickly learn to master their lives with this new medical aid.
“There is no denying that the partnership approach is beginning to bear fruit.
“We the Federal Republic of Germany, will further intensify this cooperation in the coming years and will closely support our Nigerian partner.
“I can assure you that the FederalRepublic of Germany is still veryinterested in working together as partner, “Ory said.
The acting Corps Commander Medical Nigerian Army , Col Idris Solebo said the goal of medical corps remains the provision of good quality health care
Solebo said the involvement of the armed forces of Nigeria I various military operations around the country sometimes results in to fatalities and injuries.
He said the constitution of the prosthetic workshop for production of artificial limbs for soldiers and civilian populace is very important.
“This local production of world class artificial limbs will facilitate our efforts at rehabilitation of combat amputees there by boosting the morale of the fighting force, “Solebo said.
