From: Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Taraba State chapter of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has provided free medicare to over 300 villagers in Rafin Kada, in Wukari Local Government Area of the state.
Unveiling the medical outreach, the state coordinator of NYSC, Mrs. Altine Japhet Akyam, said that the programme was part of NYSC’s Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers, as a way of giving back to the society.
Akyam, who was represented by the Assistant Director CDS, Mr. Birdling John, said that the NYSC had carried out similar outreaches in nine other locations across the state and hoped to reach out to even more remote and hard to reach areas to ameliorate the plight of the people.
She, however, regretted that most rural dwellers had no access to medical care and children were lost to common illnesses like diarrhoea and common cough.
Akyam said that the initiative was a way of reaching out to the host communities where Corps members are serving due to the nationwide outreach of Corps members and solicited for corporation to enhance the success of the programme and to reach out to more villages.
“The NYSC is really concerned that most people at the rural areas are dying daily from avoidable causes. Its is in light if this that the NYSC has come up with this programme to reach out to as many communities as possible to provide relief to the people who no access to medical care. I call on the people who are well to do to partner with the NYSC so that we can reach out to as many communities as possible”, Akyam said.
In his remarks, the village head of Rafin Kada Mr. Daniel J Agyo, said that the people were most delighted that this was happening in their domain. He said that “this is the first time we are of its kind. We are optimistic that it would bring the much needed relief our people yearn for.
One of the beneficiaries, Ayuba Ayuana, who appreciated the NYSC for the initiative prayed that God would provide the grace for the programme to be extended to other remote areas in the state.
Ayuana said that her aged grandmother had been sick for weeks without medical care since the maternity clinic in the area had no drugs and she had no money to take her to the city but has now been attended to and given a lot of drugs.
One of the doctors who attended to the people, Dr. Emmanuel Bulus, said that the corps members would hold tests for High Blood Presure, Diabetes, Malaria, Typhoid, and Counseling on health matters especially maternal health, environmental cleanliness, dieting and others.
Bulus said that they were excited to deploy their training to ameliorate the plight of their hosts and hope that more of such opportunities would come their way before the end of their service year.
The Corps members who attended to the people include medical Doctors, Pharmacists, Nurses, Lab technicians and others.
Earlier, the state Commissioner of Finance and Budgeting Dr Jessey Ashumete, who supported the funding for the programme said that the initiative was one of the best things that the NYSC has come up with and called on other government officials and business holders to support NYSC to reach out to their people with their vast manpower.
He assured the team of adequate security throughout the period of their service in the state generally and the area specifically.