The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiqque Abubakar has commission Coronavirus isolation ward and an Olympic size swimming pool at the Air Force Base Bauchi in a bid to tame the Spread of Coronavirus and enhance professionalism among officers of the Army.
The isolation ward houses 20 bed spaces and is furnished with personnel protective equipment for frontline workers treating covid-19 patients.
Commissioning the projects in Bauchi, the Chief of Air Staff, AirMarshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, said the Olympic size swimming pool was infurtherance of NAF’s resolve to enhance the competences and capacity of itspersonnel to enable them confront the evolving national security challenges.
“The Olympic standard pool that will be commissioned today is designed to ensure that trainee Special Forces personnel receive robust well rounded training to include watermanship skills to enable them operate effectively in marine and riverine terrains ” he said.
“Let me remind you that the task of nation building is a collectiveresponsibility especially with the dynamics of the current security challengesfacing our country. “It is therefore our duty to continue to generate excellentcombat elements that can appropriately protect lives and properties of ourcitizens.
On the isolation ward, Saddique Abubakar said the commissioning of theisolation ward was to contribute in the fight against the dreaded coronaviruspandemic.
“The Nigerian Air Force in recent past has contributed and willcontinue to contribute its own quota to the fight against Covid-19 by providingairlift in support of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control as well asembarking on the mass production of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for itsHospitals.
CAS stated that the Nigerian Air Force has also provided medical gradeoxygen for government hospitals from the 103 STG LOX plant in Yola and recentlyenrolled the Nigerian C-130 as an air ambulance that can medically evacuate 98patients safely to locations with capable hospitals.
According to him, the construction and commissioning of the 20 bedIsolation Ward is also a proof of the NAF’s resolve to ensure that hospitalsare properly equipped to face the contemporary challenges of medical practicein today’s world especially in response to emerging infectious disease threatsglobally.
Commenting on the development, Air Officer Commanding, SpecialOperations Command, Bauchi, Air Vice Marshal Charles Owho said that theisolation ward will help prevent the spread of the infectious Coronavirusacross the country.
Owho who commended the Chief of Air Staff for providing the requisiteleadership urged the army to make good use of the facilities.
