NYSC kicks off free health initiative for Kogi rural dwellers

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Friday flagged-off its annual Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD), in Zango Daji community, Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi.

Our correspondent reports that the annual exercise is for the aged and less-privileged persons, who cannot afford hospital bills for ailments afflicting them.

In a speech at the commencement of the exercise, the Kogi Coordinator of NYSC, Mrs. Ngozi Nwatarali, said that the scheme was leveraging on its spread and abundant human resources within its fold, to drive the initiative.

“The health initiative is designed to motivate medical personnel to provide healthcare service in rural areas; the goal is to take quality healthcare to the door steps of poor citizens.

“We have doctors, nurses, pharmacists, ophthalmologists and other health personnel among the corps members, who are willing to render humanitarian services to the people.

“For us in Kogi, the initiative is in tandem with the `New Direction Policy’ of Gov. Yahaya Bello, whose sole focus is taking health care delivery to the door steps of rural dwellers,” he said.

The Coordinator urged individuals and organisations to support the initiative by providing drugs, test kits, venues and any other assistance to make for a wider reach.

The medical team leader, Mr Maurice Molokwu, a pharmacist, who spoke with NAN on the exercise, said that the team was fully ready to render humanitarian services to the rural dwellers.

“We are ready for the exercise; cases we cannot handle will be referred to the hospital,” he said.

He listed ailments to be treated to include malaria, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholera, typhoid and eye problems.

“During the outreach, we shall also screen people for HIV and counsel those found to be positive,” he said.

In his remarks, the District Head of Zango Daji community, Mr Bayo John, commended NYSC for the gesture, and challenged wealthy Nigerians, government and private organisations to emulate the initiative.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Balikis Abdulsalam, a primary school head teacher, described the programme as “very impressive”, saying that she discovered several new things concerning personal hygiene.

“They taught us how to maintain personal hygiene and wash our hands. They also gave us free drugs,” he said.

It was reported that the programme featured lectures on breast cancer, depression, drug abuse and personal hygiene.