SEMA, BSUTH sign MOU to provide medical healthcare to Benue IDPs

From Dooshima Terkura Makurdi

The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) to enable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state access to urgent medical services.

Signing the MOU at the teaching hospital, the Executive Secretary, SEMA, Sir James Iorpuu said the partnership was a collective efforts both institutions to alleviate the suffering of IDPs in the State and ensure they have access to essential and quality healthcare services.

The SEMA boss said that “the plight of our brothers and sisters in IDP camps across Makurdi and Guma LGAs is one of the most pressing humanitarian challenges of our time.

“These vulnerable populations face numerous difficulties, with access to healthcare being one of the most critical. Many IDPs are unable to access the medical attention they urgently need due to financial constraints and logistical barriers.

“It is in recognition of this need that Benue SEMA has sought this collaboration with BSUTH, an institution renowned for its excellence in medical care and service delivery. Through this agreement, IDPs in the 10 designated camps will now have the opportunity to receive timely and quality healthcare services at BSUTH, with the assurance that payments for such services will be settled by SEMA at a later date.”

According to him, the initiative is not just a demonstration of the commitment of Benue state government to the welfare of displaced persons but also a testament to the importance of partnerships in addressing the complexities of humanitarian crises.

He expressed confidence that by leveraging the expertise and resources of BSUTH and the coordination capabilities of SEMA, Benue state was setting a precedent for how institutions can work together to achieve common goals for the betterment of society.

He commended the management of BSUTH led by the Chief Medical Director (CMD) Dr Stephen Hwande, for their willingness to collaborate with SEMA and praising their dedication to saving lives and promoting public health who he said resonates deeply with the mission of Benue SEMA.

He expressed commitment to ensure that the agreement is implemented effectively and transparently saying both SEMA and BSUTH must remain accountable to the people they serve, ensuring that the initiative achieves its intended impact in providing relief, dignity and hope to the vulnerable populations in their care.

In his remarks, Chief Medical Director (CMD) Benue State University Teaching Hospital BSUTH, Dr Stephen Hwande, commended Governor Hyacinth Alia through SEMA for what he described as a landmark effort to save lives.

Hwande who lamented that IDPs are plagued by sundry ailments including hunger said “Sometimes the IDPs have Lassa Fever. The other time, they brought in some IDPs to the hospital, they had no food and we call SEMA who provided food.”

Hwande who disclosed that he and the SEMA boss, Iorpuu belongs to the Knight of St John, a Catholic fraternal service organization whose members are devoted to charitable acts, said “what we are doing here today is also a spiritual exercise and part of our knighthood and obligation to serve humanity.

He advised the Benue people to emulate the SEMA boss and Governor Alia by contributing their resources to save lives instead of waiting to contribute monies for burial ceremonies.

He pledged to support SEMA by giving discounts for treatment of ailments that requires so much money for medication pledging to keep to the provisions of the agreement which he said is another avenue to treat Benue people.