Over 4 million Nigerians benefit from NYSC free medicare in 9 years — DG

In eight years, over four million Nigerians across the country have benefitted from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Health Initiative For Rural Dwellers, the Scheme’s Director General, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed has disclosed.

In a breakdown, he said out of the number, more than two million patients have been treated by the Corps Medical personnel in view of the Scheme’s strive to enhance quality healthcare delivery for Nigerians

The DG made the disclosure on Wednesday, at the flag-off of the 2023 edition of the NYSC Health Initiative For Rural Dwellers (HIRD programme) held at Malaysia Garden Internally Displaced Persons, IDP community, after Apo Mechanic Area of Garki, Abuja.

Ahmed stated that the choice of the IDPs was to complement the government’s efforts at improving the lot of the underprivileged.

The Director-General, who was represented at the programme by the NYSC Director, Legal Services, Barrister Tijjani Ahmed Ibrahim, added that NYSC has over the years collaborated with local and international health-based agencies in sustaining the HIRD programme.

He lauded the Federal Government for giving priority to the health sector through the repositioning of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

Earlier in her address, the NYSC Director of Community Development Service and Special Projects, Mrs Zainab Isah said the Scheme in its bid to deepen the impact of healthcare services in the country, launched the HIRD programme in 2014 as a platform for promoting the well-being of indigent persons at the grassroots by granting them easy access to free and quality healthcare.

She called on public-spirited individuals, philanthropists, government and non-governmental organizations to partner with the Scheme in its quest to ensure a healthy society.

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