The Federal Government and the leadership of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have called for increased investment, digital innovation and stronger partnerships to improve healthcare delivery for military personnel, veterans and their dependants.
The call was made on Thursday in Abuja at the 20th anniversary celebration of Defence Health Maintenance Limited (DHML), where military leaders, healthcare professionals and policymakers examined the future of military healthcare in Nigeria.
Represented by the Director of Health Services at the Ministry of Defence, Dr Gabriel Ibe, the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, described healthcare security as a critical pillar of operational readiness and national security.
He said DHML had, over the past two decades, expanded access to quality healthcare for members of the Armed Forces and their families, urging the organisation to embrace value-based care, telemedicine, digital health platforms and data-driven decision-making to improve service delivery, particularly for personnel in remote locations.
Matawalle also called for stronger collaboration among military medical services, public and private healthcare providers, and the National Health Insurance Authority to improve healthcare outcomes.
In separate goodwill messages, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, represented by Maj.-Gen. Isa Abdullahi, and the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, represented by Air Commodore Nkechi Uzodima, stressed that effective healthcare systems are essential to troop welfare, force readiness and operational effectiveness.
Managing Director of DHML, retired Rear Admiral Azeez Afolayan, highlighted the organisation’s achievements, including expanded enrolment and the implementation of an Integrated Health Management System to strengthen service coordination.
He, however, identified inadequate funding, rising healthcare costs, manpower shortages and delays in NHIA disbursements as major challenges confronting military healthcare delivery.
According to him, increased funding and better-equipped facilities are necessary to meet the growing healthcare needs of military personnel and their dependants.
Also speaking, DHML’s General Manager of Medical Services, Dr Brenda Isikekpei, said the anniversary offered an opportunity to reflect on the organisation’s contributions to expanding healthcare access within the armed forces community since its establishment in 2006.
The National President of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria, Dr Terfa Kene, advocated the adoption of telemedicine to provide specialist support for troops in remote areas and emphasised preventive healthcare and community-based interventions.
The symposium, themed “Transforming Military Health Systems for Better Health Coverage through Defence Health Maintenance Limited: Progress, Challenges and Strategic Partnerships,” also featured panel discussions, goodwill messages, cultural performances and the presentation of souvenirs to distinguished guests.
As DHML marks 20 years of service, stakeholders agreed that sustained investment, innovation and strategic partnerships remain vital to strengthening healthcare coverage and improving the wellbeing of military personnel, veterans and their families.
