Mr Sylvester Okafor, Chairman of Anambra West Local Government Council, Anambra, has appealed to the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) in the state to post more health specialists to the council to bridge the manpower gap in that sector.
Okafor made the appeal at a send off ceremony organised for 2018 Batch B Corps members who served in the council’s area.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the management of the NYSC directly supervised the Passing Out of Anambra West Corps members in recognition of their commitment to the development of the council during their service year.
The council boss said the local government did not have any functional health facility nor government doctors in the 21 health centres in the council and prayed the NYSC to help uplift the people of the area.
He said they also needed the service of pharmacists and laboratory scientists as there was no place where people can run simple laboratory tests for as little as malaria in the riverine area.
“Your coming to this place is not just for the fun of it, you have seen the condition of the people here, this is our request and I hope it will be granted, please post more doctors to Anambra West, if we can get five we will be happy.
“We don’t have a laboratory here where we can even run a simple malaria test in this whole local government, but if we can have laboratory scientists, somebody can come from Ndiora, Oroma can come to Anam for the test.
“The only hospital we have is a missionary hospital in Mmiata, managed by the Holy Rosary Sisters with one doctor who works day and night, that is why are calling for these graduate doctors to help the people in Igala area, Mmiata and other hard to reach areas.
“The two we have now are leaving and by that we don’t have any again, so, please send us more doctors, we don’t need them to give us drugs, we need them to give us the manpower,” he said.
READ ALSO: ASUU wants Pro-Chancellor to be neutral in selecting new VC
Okafor promised good incentives for corps members who work in the council.
Mr Kehinde Aremu, Coordinator of NYSC in Anambra, thanked the people of Anambra council area for the good relationship that exist between the corps members and the communities.
Aremu described Anambra West as a people in special need and promised that the NYSC would do what was within its reach to bridge the manpower deficiency gap.
He lauded the corps members who served in the council and prayed that they would reap bountifully for the contributions they made in the development of the people and communities.
He said the NYSC would help to tell the story Anambra West to the world, while promising to work on their request.
Mr Ikechukwu Okoro, Anambra West Local Government Inspector, called out four corps members, including three males and one female as those who distinguished themselves as Chairman’s Award recipients for recognition.
The recipients are: Mr Sunday Anonime, Mr Iwuoha Ekemezie, Mr Omotunde Oluwafemi and Miss Grace Eze.
The award recipients said Anambra West communities lacked access to quality education, good healthcare and sanitation.
They said they corps members carry education of the people of the council on their shoulders as they made up the bulk of teachers, and called on Anambra Government to address these challenges as way of checking their underdevelopment.
(NAN)