NYSC Delivers Free Medical Services To Anambra Residents
The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) says it was targeting no fewer than seven hundred patients in this edition of Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers in Anambra State.
Mr Kehinde Aremu, Coordinator of NYSC in Anambra said this while declaring the programme opwn in Ihiala, Ihiala Local Government, Anambra on Monday.
Aremu said HIRD was a flagship programme of the scheme aimed at providing free medical services to indigent members of the society especially rural population.
He said the team made up of six corps medical doctors, four pharmacists, six nurses, three physiotherapist and four laboratory scientists among others paramedics were expected to attend to no fewer than 700 patients in the one day event.
Aremu said the services to be rendered included consultancy services, vital checks, medical advisory, diagnostics, free drugs and referral services, adding that there would be follow up services by the corps medical personnel in the local government.
The Coordinator said some of the ‘slumps and sudden deaths’ were due to the poor attitude of people to go for fitness and medical tests to ascertain their health status.
“We are for the NYSC health initiative for rural dwellers, it is a flagship programme of NYSC nationwide, where we use the expertise of corps medical personnel to reach out to the indigent in the communities.
“Last year, we attended and treated 722 patients in Anambra East, this year we expect to attend to no fewer 700 people, the mobilisation was massive, we used churches and markets to spread the message.
“We want to give opportunity to poor people, so they can also come into the quality Medicare net and not continue to patronise patent medicine dealers because they can’t afford to go to hospital,” he said.
Aremu said Ihiala was chosen because of its far distance from Awka, the capital town adding that the farther the people were from places where good facilities were available, the more difficult it would be to access them.
He lauded the leadership of the local government council for helping to mobilise people for the outreach.
