- Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed launched the NYSC Special Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) to address inadequate healthcare access in rural areas, stressing the importance of healthcare for societal development
- The NYSC initiative collaborates with healthcare stakeholders and deploys corps medical personnel to provide free and quality healthcare to rural communities
Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), emphasized the critical importance of healthcare access for societal development during the launch of the NYSC Special Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) in Abuja. He noted that to foster progress, it is imperative that people have access to proper healthcare to maintain good health and productivity.
Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed expressed concern about the lack of adequate healthcare access in rural areas, highlighting that many individuals in such communities face significant challenges in obtaining proper medical care. The NYSC Special Health Initiative is designed to address this issue by bringing essential healthcare services to rural dwellers’ doorstep, ensuring they have access to free and quality healthcare.
The initiative involves collaborations with various stakeholders in the healthcare sector, to mobilize and deploy the expertise of NYSC corps medical personnel, including doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and laboratory scientists, among others. These medical professionals will be vital in delivering healthcare services to rural communities.
Hajiya Zainab Isah, the Director of Community Development Service and Special Projects (CDS and SP), affirmed that the NYSC’s healthcare initiative had benefited thousands of people from various rural areas across Nigeria. By providing access to essential healthcare services, the NYSC aims to improve the health and well-being of rural dwellers, particularly those engaged in farming and other vital occupations.
Mr. Tanko Lazarus Bahago, the Etsu of Piwoyi, highlighted the challenging healthcare conditions in his community, where a lone clinic with minimal facilities serves a population that largely consists of farmers. He called upon the government to support upgrading healthcare infrastructure to better cater to the community’s needs. The NYSC’s Special Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers represents a vital step toward addressing such healthcare disparities and improving the health outcomes of people in underserved rural areas.