The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has flagged off a Health Initiative for rural dwellers in Kwara State.

The programme was designed to bring health care delivery to the doorstep of rural dwellers.

It also aimed to fill the gap created by dearth of medical infrastructure and reluctance of qualified medical experts to settle in rural areas and offer qualitative health services to the people.

The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Johnson Olawumi launched the initiative at Igbo Owu, in Ifelodun Local government area of Kwara state. Under the initiative any rural community suffering lack of health facilities will be supported with a mobile clinic equipped with relevant facilities.

The DG who disclosed that the initiative would be replicated in remote communities and villages across the country explained that it is part of the NYSC's vision to deliver more service to the people while expanding partnership with stakeholders and other sundry organisations for greater positive impact on communities.

He said the programme would be driven by leveraging on the NYSC's human resource which consists of Corps Medical Personnel and other Corps members in allied disciplines.

"This initiative which will be replicated in all the states of the federation is designed to mobilize Volunteer Corps members for the provision of healthcare intervention services to the rural dwellers thereby facilitating access to prompt health services and improve the general wellbeing of rural dwellers throughout the nooks and crannies of the country," he said.

In his remarks, Governor Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, who was represented by the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr Saheed Popoola, assured that the state government would partner with the scheme to improve health care delivery at rural areas.

He said the government was also taking stock of the challenges confronting the scheme in the state and was taking measures to tackle them headlong.