Posted on: Wed 27-03-2024

National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, last week embarked on free medical outreach at the Nkata Ibeku rural community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State.

The exercise, a programmed of the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers, HIRD, of the Corps, was aimed at mobilizing corps medical personnel, medical equipment and supplies “generously contributed by compassionate Nigerians to provide  free medical services to  underserved rural communities”.

According to Abia State Coordinator of NYSC, Mrs. Ufuoma Dick-Iruenabere,  the exercise, the first in this quarter by NYSC in the state, was the Corps’ own little way of giving back to its host communities.

Dick-Iruenabere explained that the exercise was conducted in collaboration with the relevant health authorities in the state to ensure the safety and wellbeing of both corps members and beneficiaries.  

According to her: “The goal of this health Initiative for Rural Dwellers, HIRD, is to mobilize corps medical personnel in the provision of health intervention through diagnosis, treatment, referrals and proper prevention mechanism, thereby enhancing the general well-being of the rural dwellers within our communities.

“Our team of qualified Corps Medical personnel, including Corps doctors, pharmacists, dentists, laboratory scientists, nurses, etc, will be offering their services free of charge.

“During the exercise, they will provide wide range of medical services, including general medical consultations, basic health checks, dental care, eye screenings, immunizations, and health talk sessions, at no cost, and by so doing, help to alleviate the burden of healthcare expenses on the rural dwellers and improve the overall health conditions in this community.

“They will work diligently to provide accurate and timely diagnoses, allowing for early detection and intervention for various health conditions.” She urged members of the community to  make themselves available for the exercise.

She commended the sponsors for their generous donations of drugs, materials and funds for the exercise.

In his remark, Deputy Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Austin Nmeregini, commended the corps members for the patriotic initiative.

He said it would complement the efforts of the government to provide quality health care services for his constituents.

The Deputy Speaker urged the people to take advantage of the outreach to improve their health status.

He advised the people, especially youths, to abstain from consumption of substances, particularly hard drugs that could endanger their health.

The Deputy Speaker, who was one of the sponsors of the exercise, pledged his continued support for the outreach.

Some of the beneficiaries, Mr. Obioma Ogbonna, and Madam Josephine Nwoko, expressed their gratitude to NYSC for the gesture. Leader of the NYSC  team, Dr. Ubong Okon, said their passion was to deliver quality health services to rural folks.

---

---