A United States-based non-governmental organization, Equipping the Persecuted, has partnered with St. Bishop Murray Hospital in Makurdi to provide free treatment for internally displaced persons (IDPs) suffering from snakebites in Benue State. The partnership aims to reduce the rising number of deaths caused by snakebites, particularly among those living in IDP camps across the state.
Speaking during a meeting at the hospital to conclude arrangements for the intervention, the Benue State Coordinator of Equipping the Persecuted, Mr. Andy Nomsor, said the organization was moved to act after discovering the alarming rate of snakebite cases among IDPs. He explained that through information provided by Benue indigene and NGO member Barr. Franc Utoo, the group identified snakebite as a major public health challenge affecting displaced persons.
“Our primary concern is the IDPs. We want to partner with the Hospital to ensure that victims of snakebites from the IDP camps in Benue State receive free treatment. To achieve this, we will provide anti-venom to the hospital to support the treatment of affected persons,” Nomsor said. He commended Barr. Franc Utoo for his commitment to speaking for persecuted people in Benue and Nigeria on the international stage, and also appreciated the founder of Equipping the Persecuted, Mr. Juud Soul, for his continuous support for victims of violent attacks in Benue, across Nigeria, and other parts of the world.
Responding, the Health Coordinator of Bishop Murray Hospital, Very Rev. Fr. Peter Palave, expressed gratitude for the intervention, describing it as timely and lifesaving. He acknowledged Barr. Franc Utoo’s role in drawing global attention to the plight of persecuted communities in Benue and the compassion shown by the organization’s founder.
Fr. Palave recalled that the hospital had previously implemented a similar snakebite intervention with the support of former Benue State Governor Chief Samuel Ortom, even before he assumed office, and that the programme continued throughout his administration. According to him, the initiative saved more than 30,000 lives and recorded virtually zero mortality from snakebite cases during that period. He lamented that following the end of the programme, deaths from snakebites have risen sharply, with many victims unable to afford life-saving anti-venom.
“When Governor Ortom supported the programme, mortality was virtually zero. Today, we witness heartbreaking scenes in the hospital almost every day as families lose loved ones to snakebites because they cannot afford treatment,” he said. The health coordinator appealed to the public to appreciate the hospital’s humanitarian services despite operating without government subvention, noting that it continues to shoulder enormous healthcare responsibilities with limited resources while the Church remains committed to saving lives.
The partnership, with Dr. Martins Chuwan serving as Equipping the Persecuted’s lead medical representative at the hospital, is expected to provide renewed hope for thousands of IDPs in Benue State who remain vulnerable to snakebites while living in temporary settlements.
