The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) in collaboration with a philanthropist, Yushe’u Abdu has targeted 200 persons for free medical treatment at Kachi community in Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa.
The State Coordinator, Hajiya Aishatu Adamu, stated this at the inauguration of the exercise on Sunday in Dutse.
Adamu said that under the arrangement the scheme provided the manpower, while the philanthropist contributed drugs to facilitate smooth conduct of the exercise.
She said the philanthropist, who is a native of the community, approached the NYSC office after the successful conduct of the medical outreach under the scheme’s Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) in the state.
The philanthropist, she said, requested that such gesture be extended to members of his community.
“The NYSC recently conducted HIRD in some selected communities in the state.
“So when Abdu heard about it, he requested that we should also do similar exercise in his community, which is Kachi in Dutse LGA.
“And he accepted to contribute drugs while the scheme will provide the manpower.
“Today, our corps members are diagnosing members of Kachi community and giving them free drugs,” she said.
Adamu said the beneficiaries were also exposed to environmental hygiene and health risks associated with poor sanitation.
According to her, the gesture is to ensure prevention of food and water contamination as well as protect the environment.
“It may interest you to know that during the nationwide medical outreach recently conducted on the platform of the NYSC’s HIRD, most of the ailments diagnosed and treated are caused by poor hygiene.
“They include chronic diarrhea; tooth decay, head/body lice, ringworms, dysentery, typhoid, scabies, trachoma, hepatitis A and malaria, among others.
“Therefore, efforts must be made to save more lives by empowering the people with adequate information on good grooming and environmental hygiene,” she said.
Adamu, therefore, commended the philanthropist for his determination towards enhancing access to quality healthcare services at the grassroots.
Also speaking, Abdu, who is also the Director, Administration and Finance (DAF), Jigawa State Directorate of Salary and Pension, thanked the NYSC for the gesture.
“Our people in rural areas need access to quality healthcare services; this informed my decision to join hands with the NYSC to ensure that people from my community also benefit from similar gesture.
“I supplied drugs for my people to benefit and the NYSC provided the manpower and other things required for the exercise,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Ward Head of Kachi, Malam Garba Idris, commended the gesture, saying it would improve the health status of the people in the area.