Tunde Bakare
The Director General (DG) of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Brigadier General YD Ahmed has insisted that the Scheme will continue to post majority of the Corps Members, especially Corps Medical personnel, to rural areas for the purpose of improving the wellbeing of indigent Nigerians.
The Director General made this known while playing host to the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Muyi Aina, at NYSC National Directorate Headquarters, Maitama, Abuja.
Justifying the Scheme’s posting policy, which is tilted towards deploying more Corps Members to rural communities, General Ahmed stated that Nigeria’s rural areas need Corps services more than the urban centres.
He assured his guest that NYSC would continue to support NPHCDA with the needed manpower for the purpose of dispensing medical services in rural areas.
The DG, noted with satisfaction, the passion with which Corps Members, including Corps Medical personnel, apply towards their services to the fatherland.
General Ahmed directed the Corps Welfare and Health Services Department to work with officials from NPHCDA to review and revive the now dormant partnership between the two agencies.
The Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr Muyi Aina commended NYSC for staffing the health centres in rural areas with Corps Medical personnel, whose contributions has recorded great impact in the nation’s health sector.
Pointing out that there is a shortage of medical personnel to meet the nation’s need, Aina cited his service year experience when he had to work in three different Primary Health Care Centres in Apapa, Lagos, owing to the deficit of medical personnel.
Dr Aina said part of the reason for his visit was to explore the possibility of reviving the partnership between the two agencies, which had become moribund.
He then promised that his agency would support NYSC Camp Clinics with essential medical supplies and consumables.