COAS: Standardised protocols key to improving army healthcare

By Zainab Uzomah| Abuja

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has said the effectiveness of medical services in the Nigerian Army depends on the integration of standard administrative systems and stronger inter-agency coordination. He made the remarks on Tuesday in Abuja while receiving the head of Defence Health Maintenance Limited, Surgeon Rear Admiral Azeeze Bayo Afolayan (Rtd), during a courtesy visit to Army Headquarters.

According to a statement signed by Colonel Appolonia Anele, the chief of Army Staff said ongoing military operations across Nigeria require a modern and responsive healthcare system to maintain both the physical and mental readiness of personnel. The statement added that he emphasised the need to extend welfare support beyond active service to include retired personnel, warning that many veterans face socio-economic challenges after leaving the military.

General Shaibu said the army has a lifelong responsibility to its retirees, stressing the importance of financial and medical support systems to ensure their wellbeing. He also described the visiting DHML chief as an “insider” whose continued contributions after retirement reflect the importance of institutional experience in national service.

In his remarks, Rear Admiral Afolayan called for the adoption of standard operating procedures across human resources and administrative units within military medical services. He said a shift from ad-hoc processes to structured systems would improve data management and remove administrative bottlenecks that can delay treatment for soldiers and their families.

He also outlined plans to expand the use of secondary care providers, saying this would allow medical personnel to be deployed more efficiently across units. He added that better use of such facilities would help ensure that troops,particularly those in high-risk operational areas, have timely access to specialist care.