NYSC offers free medical services to residents in Kogi
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kogi on Wednesday provided free medical services to indigent residents of Lokoja, Kogi.
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Speaking at the flag-off at Maigari place, Lokoja, the Kogi State Coordinator of NYSC, Mr Femi Osungbohun, said the medical outreach was being conducted under the NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) programme.
Osungbohun noted that the NYSC-HIRD was launched in 2014 as part of NYSC’s determination to deepen the impact of its healthcare services.
According to him, the medical outreach is conducted on a quarterly basis with a view to increasing access for the benefiting communities.
“The NYSC-HIRD is a platform for contributing towards promoting the wellbeing of indigent persons at the grassroots by granting them access to free and qualitative healthcare.
“The programme is largely implemented through medical outreaches in communities across the country, during which the Corps Medical Volunteers carry out diagnosis and treatment.
“This includes minor medical procedures and referrals of patients, while drugs, eye glasses and other medical consumables are also given to patients free of charge.
“I am pleased to report that, so far, over two million persons have been attended to by the NYSC medical teams under the HIRD platforms.
“To treatment of patients, the medical outreaches also feature sensitisation of community members on disease prevention and care,” Osungbohun said.
He, therefore, urged the people to avail themselves of the free medical services, while commending the Maigari of Lokoja for his moral and financial support for the programme.
Osungbohun thanked the government and good people of Kogi for being part of the NYSC-HIRD, and commended the corps members for their tireless efforts toward the programme’s success.
In his remarks, the Maigari of Lokoja, Alh Ibrahim Kabiru Gambo, commended the NYSC for the gesture towards his people especially the indigent in Lokoja.
Maigari, who was represented by Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar, noted that the NYSC had recently organised an environment sanitation exercise at Kabawa communities towards ensuring a clean environment.
“We are grateful to NYSC because we have never witnessed this kind of gesture in our communities before. This will go a long way to impact on the health of our people,” the royal father said.
The highlight of the occasion was the Health talk by the President of NYSC Medical CDS, Dr Adeniyi Ayomide, as well as enlightenment on mental health.
The beneficiaries were screened of high blood pressure, diabetes, eye, malaria as well as other health challenges, and gave free drugs.
One of the beneficiaries, Hajia Kenchi Nasidi, commended the NYSC for the gesture, and prayed Allah to continue to bless the scheme.
“May Allah continue to bless the NYSC for giving us free drugs and treatment,” Nasidi said.
NAN/Wumi
