The wife of the President, Aisha Buhari has inaugurated a mobile clinic donated to Kpaduma Community-a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory-by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
According to Mrs Buhari, the mobile clinic was a project of the NYSC meant to assist in the provision of health care for rural communities.
At the launch of the first quarter 2022 NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) programme and inauguration of NYSC modern mobile clinic at Kpaduma II Guzape District, Abuja yesterday, Mrs Buhari appealed to the federal and state legislators to make the provision of drugs and other medical consumables and logistics for the NYSC Health Initiative for rural dwellers part of their constituency projects.
Represented by the wife of former Nasarawa State Governor, Dr. Mairo Almakura, Aisha said the event was a significant step forward in the health initiative of the NYSC, which has the same goals as her “Future Assured” programme.
The president’s wife restated her commitment to any cause that will help in the reduction of maternal and newborn mortality as well as avoidable morbidity arising from preventable causes.
She said: “This will boost the health care services which the scheme renders to their constituents, thereby enhancing their overall well-being and productivity.”
She commended the Director-General and the management of the NYSC for the great work they are doing, especially through harnessing the enormous potential of youths for the socio-economic progress of our dear country.
The Director-General of the NYSC, Maj. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim said the NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers was introduced in 2014 as a platform for the scheme to complement the government’s efforts in the provision of free and quality health care services to Nigerians, especially the indigent members of rural communities.
He commended the First Lady for the gesture, even as he called on other public-spirited individuals and organisations to emulate the First Lady by extending technical, material and financial support for the smooth and wider execution of the NYSC rural health initiative.
The D-G said: “Donations of more of such mobile clinics will be highly appreciated.
He added: “While we remain committed to the sustenance of the HIRD and enhancing its impact on the target beneficiaries, I wish to inform this distinguished audience that these will require the increased deployment of logistics for its smooth execution.
“This is one of the reasons we are advocating the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund. If established, the Fund will enable us to provide essential facilities such as additional mobile clinics, equipment as well as adequate drugs and other medical consumables.”