The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), on Tuesday, inaugurated its 2025 fourth-quarter Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) in Abia.
The free medical outreach took place at Nkechi Hospital and Surgical Centre, Umuorji-Ohanze in Obingwa Local Government Area.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was organised, in collaboration with the hospital and Onunwa Foundation, USA.
It featured surgeries, consultations, treatments and medications, targeted at over 1,500 residents.
In a speech, the NYSC State Coordinator, Mrs Gladys Adama, urged the residents to avail themselves of the opportunity to access free healthcare services provided by the scheme.
Adama described HIRD as the NYSC flagship programme that takes free medical services to the unreached and under-served rural communities of the host state.
She said that the scheme was fully prepared to use skilled human resources at its disposal to improve the quality of life of the people.
She expressed gratitude to the Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Dr Chukwuemeka Nwakanma, for choosing to sponsor the programme solely.
Adama said: “I’m aware that a team of doctors from the United States is here with our corps medical personnel to attend to the health needs of our people.
“We, therefore, urge other stakeholders, government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), good-spirited individuals and communities to emulate Nwakanma, his foundation and the hospital, in sponsoring future NYSC HIRD programmes across the state.”
In a remark, the Chairman of the foundation, Chief Acho Nwakanma, described the NGO as a worldwide humanitarian body, established “to follow the footsteps of our parents who had a lot of compassion for people.”
Nwakanma, a former Deputy Governor, thanked NYSC for providing the human resources, including corps doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other medical personnel, to his community for free.
“What we did was just to co-host and sponsor it because it is an NYSC project,” he said.
A beneficiary, Mrs Peace Atubiri, said she was grateful to NYSC and impressed with the service rendered to her.
“I’m a seamstress, I was given malaria drugs and reading glasses for free.
“This programme is the first of its kind in this community and it is a very big relief to us,” she said.
NAN further reports that the event witnessed the inauguration of the hospital.
