By Chika Onyeneke
The Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, has stated that more than two million rural dwellers have so far benefited from the NYSC free medical outreach.According to him, the outreach has already made available 300 free wheelchairs to beneficiaries nationwide.
The D-G made available these facts while flagging- off the nationwide 2021 second-quarter NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) program at Damagazan Hausawa Community in Kaura District of the FCT, Monday.
Gen. Ibrahim explained that the NYSC HIRD Project which was initiated in 2014, is a platform through which people living in the grassroots benefit from free healthcare provided by corps medical personnel through diagnosis, treatment, including minor medical procedures and referrals. He stated that drugs, eye glasses and other medical consumables were given out freely to patients in the locality without any cost to the beneficiary.
He listed that other HIRD implementation strategies including the establishment of community-based clinics, setting up of clinics for NYSC Secretariats, First Aid administration, and other humanitarian aid were established.
He reiterated that the NYSC has impacted several communities across the country through health-related interventions using other Community Development Platforms of the Scheme. Such interventions include: campaign against HIV/AIDS, malaria, prevention, control of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), as well as recent contributions in the control of Covid-19 pandemic.
While appreciating the support of stakeholders and collaborating non-governmental agencies like the UNICEF, and WHO, the DG solicited increased support from corporate bodies and concerned individuals towards actualizing the plan of the scheme to set up mobile clinics.
Ibrahim further expressed his delight at the large turnout of residents of the Damagazan Hausawa Community and urged the Village Head, Mal. Bello Musa, to impress on his people to avail themselves of the opportunity of the free healthcare.Earlier, in his welcome address, the NYSC-FCT Coordinator, Alhaji Abdul Suleman, expressed appreciation at the DGs presence, as well as NYSC Directors and Deputy-Directors who graced the occasion.
He described NYSC as the “leading light of youth organisations”, promising that it shall continue to lead the pace.
