The Chief Medical Director, 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, Brig.-Gen. Godwin Ogoh, has urged troops and members of the barracks community to prioritise personal and environmental hygiene to prevent diseases such as cholera, tuberculosis and pneumonia.

Ogoh also described the Nigerian Army Medical Corps as the “eye” of the Army on health and cleanliness.

He spoke on Saturday at the Barracks Health Committee programme organised by the hospital in Kaduna.

The programme, themed, “Empowering the Barracks Community to Respond Positively to Health and Cleanliness,” was aimed at promoting preventive healthcare, personal hygiene and healthy living among members of the barracks community.

Represented by Brig.-Gen. D.C. Ibe, the CMD stressed that prevention remained better than cure, urging residents to make cleanliness and preventive healthcare part of their daily lives.

He said proper environmental and personal hygiene could help prevent several communicable diseases, including respiratory tract infections, tuberculosis, pneumonia, gastroenteritis and cholera.

Ogoh said, “The Medical Corps is the eye of the Army when it comes to cleanliness and good health.

“Therefore, we must lead by example, not only among ourselves but in the Nigerian Army as a whole, by demonstrating the importance of cleanliness and healthy living.”

According to him, the programme was designed to sensitise members of the barracks community to the importance of maintaining a clean environment and adopting healthy practices to safeguard their wellbeing.

He urged participants to sustain good hygiene practices and ensure that their homes and surroundings remained clean.

Also speaking, Dr Ayamkop Attah, who delivered a health talk at the event, emphasised the importance of personal and environmental hygiene in preventing diseases.

Attah urged members of the barracks community to maintain high standards of personal hygiene and take responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean.

He particularly advised parents to teach and guide their children and wards on the importance of personal hygiene, environmental cleanliness and healthy living.

The event also featured the presentation of awards to some barracks boys who distinguished themselves through their commitment to cleanliness and good hygiene practices.

The programme ended with a renewed call on members of the barracks community to embrace preventive healthcare and make cleanliness a continuous way of life.