Over 2000 indigent people are to benefit from a medical outreach organized by the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC in Nigeria. Flagging off the exercise at Dikomari Community in Damaturu, Yobe State, the Director General of NYSC Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim said the exercise was the second phase of Medical Outreach currently going on simultaneously across all states including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
According to the Director General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, represented at the occasion by the North East Area Office of the NYSC Mallam Ladan Baba, over two million persons have benefited from the outreach since the inception of the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) in 2014 through services rendered by the Corps volunteers.
“The health intervention of the scheme through the HIRD and other platforms have been of enormous impact such as contribution to improvement of reproductive health, the reduction of Infant and Maternal Mortality as well as maintenance and improvement of health infrastructure.”
The Yobe state Governor represented by the Director Youths in the States Ministry of Sports, Youths, Social and Community Development, Alhaji Yakubu Shuaibu pointed out that his administration has constructed many primary health care centers across the 17 Local Government areas of the State to improve access to quality health care services especially at the grassroots level.
He described the Medical Outreach by the NYSC as a welcomed development that will complement Government efforts in that respect.
“I therefore call on our citizens, religious and community leaders to continue to support NYSC in its efforts to complement the giant strive of the State Government in all its developmental programs.”
Also, the Yobe State Coordinator of the NYSC, Hajiya Hafsat Yerima said they have deployed over 50 medical corps personnel for the successful conduct of the Medical Outreach in Yobe State and further assures of the Scheme readiness to continue rendering selfless services to Nigerians especially at the rural communities.
“We shall be doing so with the support of some of our stakeholders who are either assisting us with their personnel or providing material support in the area of drugs and medical equipment”
Some of the beneficiaries, Fatima Muhammad Adamu and Alhaji Umaru Hassan commended the NYSC for the gesture which according to them will help many indigent persons get medical attentions to their health issues.
The Medical Outreach is one of NYSC Medical and Health Community Development Services (CDS). The theme of this year’s NYSC Medical Outreach is ‘Health is Wealth for Advancement’.