By Nwa Amara
Driven by the determination to deepen the impact of its healthcare services, the National Youth Service Corp has embarked on a one week medical outreach tagged “Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (NYSC-HIRD in Umuoha community in Isiala Ngwa North L.G.A, of Abia State.
Launched in the year 2014 according to the records, the NYSC-HIRD is a platform for contribution towards promoting the well-being of indigent persons at the grassroots by granting them easier access to free and quality healthcare.
Flagging off the nationwide health week medical outreach in Umuoha village hall, the NYSC Director General, Brig. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim represented by the Abia State coordinator of the scheme, Mr. Jingi Denis said the concept of bringing free healthcare to the grassroots became imperative due to the inability of most villagers to access quality medical facilities in rural communities.
He said that the programme is largely implemented through medical outreaches in Communities across the country, revealing further that over two million persons have been attended to by the NYSC medical teams on the HIRD platform and the scheme has donated over 300 wheelchairs with the support of partners through the programme.
He said the goal of the HIRD medical outreach was to mobilise the corps’ medical volunteers in the provision of healthcare interventions through diagnosis, treatment, referrals and proper prevention mechanisms.
Brig. Gen. Ibrahim pointed out that the initiative would help enhance the general well-being of rural dwellers across communities in Nigeria.
According to him, the HIRD is another community-based programme designed among other things to support the various state governments in the drive toward the provision of healthcare for all.
According to Brig. Gen. Ibrahim, “The 2021 centrally coordinated medical outreach is taking place simultaneously in all states of the Federation and the Federal Capital territory and will last one week. However, each NYSC Secretariat mobilizes the corps medical team to conduct follow-ups outreaches on quarterly basis with a view to increasing access for the benefitting Communities”.
While encouraging the Umuoha community to avail themselves of the free medical service, he appreciated the encouragement and support given by the Federal and State Ministries of Health, Pharmaceutical companies, World Health Organization, public spirited individuals among other stakeholders in the health sector and prayed the collaborations would continuously and continually strengthened for the benefit of Nigeria.
He said the programme in Umuoha Community was expected to cater for all the villagers in the community who volunteered themselves to free of charge medical outreach.
In their respective speeches, the Head of Department (Health), Isiala Ngwa North L.G.A, Lady Eunice Nwaigwe, a beneficiary of the free medical service and village head of Amaekpu-Umuamata autonomous community, Mr. Onyebuchi Emelogu lauded the NYSC for complementing the government’s efforts in the health sector and for promoting the nation’s healthcare system.
