BENIN CITY – The National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) says no fewer than two million persons have benefited from its free medical outreach in the last seven years.
The Edo Coordinator of NYSC, Mrs Olubukola Abiodun stated this yesterday during the flag-off of one week Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) held in Auchi, Edo State.
Mrs. Abiodun, who was represented by the Assistant Director, Community Development Service, Mrs. Clara Isede said that the NYSC health programme is to promote the wellbeing of indigent persons at the grassroots by granting them easier access to free and quality healthcare.
“Driven by our determination to deepen the impact of our healrhcare services, management launched the NYSC HIRD in 2014”, she stated.
The programme is largely implemented through medical outreachs in communities across the country.
“During which corps medical volunteers carry out diagnosis; treatment, medical procedures; drugs; eye glasses and other medical consumables are also given to patients free of charge.
“So far, over two million persons have been attended to by the NYSC medical teams on the HIRD platform since inception.
“The scheme have donated over 300 wheelchairs with support of partners through this programme”, she added.
Mrs. Abiodun said that the scheme had been using other NYSC community development service (CDS) platform to make more frequent health-related intervention such as health surveys, construction of cottage clinics, campaign against HIV/AIDs, malaria control, immunisation and other killer diseases.
The Edo NYSC Coordinator, disclosed that the scheme had concluded plans to set up mobile clinics for wider outreach, adding that the idea is to ensure increase in its medical services to the rural dwellers.
Mr. Dada Abubakar, a community leader in AuchI thanked the NYSC for the gesture.
He urged the people of the community to come out en-mass for the free medical service. “This is a great initiative, and we appreciate them for the outreach”.
“Health is wealth, they should take their health seriously, when they hear anything especially free medical care they should come out en-mass and seize the opportunity to test themselves,” he said.
