By Stephen Adeleye.
No fewer than two million Nigerians nationwide, have benefited from the free medical services of the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) since the inception of the scheme.
The Director-General of the NYSC, Brig. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, disclosed this on Thursday at the flag off of a medical outreach, tagged: ”Health Initiative For Rural Dwellers” at Magajiya community, Koton-Karfe road, Lokoja.
Ibrahim said in addition to treatment of patients, the medical outreaches across the country, had also embarked on sensitization of community members on disease prevention and care.
Represented by Kogi State Coordinator of NYSC, Mr Olayiwola Taofik Lasaki, the DG noted that the NYSC also adopt other approach to the implementation of the health initiative for rural dwellers.
”These approach include; establishment of Community-Based Clinics; setting up of Clinics at NYSC Secretariats; and Humanitarian Aid as well as donation of 300 Wheelchairs with the support of partners through this programme”, he said.
He, therefore called on the rural populace across the country to avail themselves of the rare opportunity by turning out en-mass for the free medical treatment.
He expressed delight that the NYSC had also made its positive impacts on other sectors, such as provision of rural infrastructure, mass literacy, education, sports development and social services to complement government’s efforts.
Also speaking, the Kogi State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Mr Musa Idris, praised the Federal Government for the establishment of NYSC describing the scheme as a Nigerians’ unifying entity.
According to Idris, the scheme had rendered lots of selfless services to the benefit of humanity and the nation as a whole.
The commissioner promised the unflinching support of the State Government for the provision of logistics to facilitate the activities of corps members in the state.
He urged residents of rural communities to respond massively and take advantage of the free medical treatment.
On his part, the Secretary to Lokoja Local Governmet Area, Mr Umar Mohammed, who spoke on behalf the Council Chairman, described the free medical treatment as a lofty programme and well deserved and timely.
He commended the NYSC for the gesture, saying the programme would go a long way in tackling several health challenges facing the people of the rural settlement.
He added that it would reduce the high rate of deaths being recorded across the country.
Mohammed gave an assurance that Lokoja council would continue to accord health sector the desired attention.
He urged the youths and the less privileged to avail themselves of the big opportunity and fully partake in it.
The Traditional Ruler of Magajiya Community, HRH, Alhaji Musa Abubakar, appreciated the NYSC for the gesture in kick-starting the free medical outreach from his community.
The royal father further promised to mobilise his subjects to come out in their large numbers for screening in order to address their health challenges.
Earlier, the representative of the free Corps Medical Team, Dr. Bababudan Hadiza, said that the team would focus on the treatment of malaria, cholera, family planning enlightenment, diabetes and sugar related diseases as well as high and low blood pressure cases.
