By Segun Giwa
Ondo state government has commended the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for reaching out to provide free and qualitative healthcare services to rural communities.
The Acting Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa gave the commendation while inaugurating the first quarter Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) programme organised by NYSC, Ondo State, at Ipogun community in Ifedore Local Government on Thursday.
Aiyedatiwa, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mrs Foluke Tunde-Daramola, was appreciative of the gesture for going beyond its primary mandate of uniting the country.
He described the programme as an extension of the state government policy of healthcare for all and sundry.
“Our belief is that NYSC scheme is reaching beyond her primary mandate of integrating our great nation into one indivisible entity and promote unity and oneness, thus moving to the rural communities to improve the well-being and healthcare of citizens and residents.
“The state government is highly thankful to NYSC management for supporting the sunshine state through the provision of free healthcare services for the good people of the state over the years.
“This is another step towards a more holistic contribution to the continued good health and productivity of the people of the state,” he said.
The acting governor pledged to strengthen the partnership with NYSC and seek ways to expand her reach to enable more residents to benefit from the provision of qualitative healthcare services to the hinterlands.
In her welcome address, the NYSC state Coordinator, Mrs Victoria Ani, said that the scheme decided to bring out the HIRD programme as a means to reach out to the rural dwellers, who under normal circumstances would not be able to access medical attention.
Ani disclosed that the programme, which began in 2014, was primarily aimed at mobilising volunteer corps medical personnel to rural settings to complement governments at all levels to give free and qualitative healthcare services.
The state coordinator, who was represented by Assistant Director/Head, Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, Mr Olugbenga Adefehinti, said the programme was strictly for rural dwellers.
She explained that the NYSC director general commenced the programme in his aspirations to reposition the scheme “and be in the vanguard to address the numerous hazard occasioned by health challenges and inadequacies”.
Ani also said corps medical personnel nationwide were massively mobilised to be actively involved, including the state HIRD exercise.
“I also want to encourage you to feel free to discuss any of your confidential health related challenges with the corps medical personnel that will be attending to you in the course of the exercise.
“I want to assure you that the success of this programme rests on the level of cooperation from you all,” she said.
In his goodwill message, Oba Raphael Ojo, the Adapogun Oripogun of Ipogunland, enjoined the community dwellers to take advantage of the free medical services provided by the NYSC to improve on their health conditions.
The monarch reminded everyone that “going by the declaration of World Health Organisation (WHO) that no human is perfectly free of ailments”.
He urged the members of the community to come out out en-masse to access the facility at their doorsteps. (NAN
