Health
GOV. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State says the state government will leverage the health initiative of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to educate the citizenry on life-threatening epidemics.
Ugwuanyi said this on Thursday in Enugu during the swearing-in of the 2020 Batch ‘A’ Stream ‘1’ corps members in the state.
He said that corps members posted to the state had through the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers of the NYSC impacted on the state’s health care system.
The governor, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Mr Uwakwe Azikiwe, said that corps members in the state would drive his administration’s health enlightenment toward containing Lassa Fever and Coronavirus diseases.
“We will be depending on corps members to be in the forefront of health enlightenment and outreaches in our rural communities,” he said.
Ugwuanyi said that the responsibilities the society had placed on corps members had increased.
He, therefore, urged them to take advantage of the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to become self-reliant.
“The SAED programme has been part of the orientation curriculum since 2012 and a veritable instrument of empowering our teeming graduates and making them self reliant.
“Therefore, you all should participate in these programmes actively in order to draw the maximum benefits,” he said.
The governor said that his administration was committed to providing the enabling environment to keep the NYSC scheme viable.
Earlier, the NYSC State Coordinator, Mr Sam Ujogu, thanked the state government for deploying medical personnel from the state Ministry of Health to set up screening stands at the points of entry into the camp.
Ujogu said that the medical personnel would also sensitise the camp community on the trending Coronavirus, Lassa Fever and other diseases.
“To make sure that the health of our corps members are not compromised, these medical personnel started work from the beginning of the orientation course armed with infrared thermometer to scan and screen for diseases.
“We have also set up hand washing basins with running water at strategic points within the camp,” he said.
Ujogu appealed for the assistance of the state government in the supply of drugs to strengthen the orientation camp clinic.
“Apart from catering for corps members, our Corps Medical Personnel through the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers also use the drugs during outreaches in the rural communities,” he said.
The state coordinator reminded the state government of NYSC’s request for operational vehicles, renovation and expansion of hostels in the camp.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a total of 1,775 corps members, comprising 878 males and 897 females, are participating in the orientation course in the state. (NAN)
– Mar. 12, 2020 @ 19:20 GMT |
Tags: Enugu State to partner NYSC on health enlightenment in rural communities
