6 Corps Members Collapse

Six  National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members posted to Gombe State on Thursday collapsed at the parade ground in Mallamsidi during their swearing in ceremony, The Tide’s source reports.

  The Tide’s source who covered the swearing in of the more than 1,900 Batch ‘A’ corps members, reports that the incident was attributed to the intense heat in the area.

  The source learnt that for most of them, it was their first time in the northern part of the country and they could hardly withstand the harsh weather.

  After the incident, Red Cross officials kept a close watch on those selected to participate in the parade, with a view to spotting those with signs of exhaustion.

  Malam Mohammed Puma, the head of the Red Cross personnel at the camp, stated that the six NYSC members could not withstand the heat.

  “When we brought them to a shade under a tree and poured water on them, they all became alright,’’ he said.

  One of the victims, Miss Christiana Nwaneri, from Imo, also said that she felt dizzy and suffered a severe headache.

  “The only place I ever visited in the north was Abuja and the heat there is not as intense as the one here,” said Nwaneri, a graduate of environmental studies.

  Mr Tony Okhiri, the Public Relations Officer of the state’s directorate of the NYSC, told the source that he would teach the corps members a technique that would help them reduce stress.

  “I always advise them that while standing ‘at ease’ during parade sessions, they should be raising their feet slightly for oxygen to penetrate.

  “But if they stand still for a long time, the tendency is for them to feel the heat more,’’ he said.

The head of the orientation camp’s medical clinic, who declined to give his name, said because of the casualties recorded, he had advised that rigorous sessions be restricted to morning hours.