From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin.
The Kwara State House of Assembly has called on the state government to collaborate with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), to increase the number of medical graduates deployed to the state for their mandatory one-year service, aiming to strengthen healthcare delivery in underserved rural areas.
The motion, titled “The Need for Kwara State Government to Partner with NYSC for Increase in the Number of Medical Graduates Deployed in Kwara State to Complement the Medical Doctors in the Rural Areas,” was moved by Hon. Bello Oniboki, representing the Afon constituency.
Leading the debate, Hon. Oniboki emphasised the importance of utilizing NYSC’s medical graduates to address the shortage of healthcare personnel in rural communities.
“Partnering with NYSC in the area of deploying medical graduates will serve as a backup for the shortfall of medical personnel in the state, particularly in rural areas,” said Hon. Oniboki.
Other lawmakers supported the motion, highlighting the limited number of medical doctors in the state, a situation worsened by the low output of graduates and the ongoing brain drain affecting the country’s healthcare sector.
In his remarks, Speaker Engineer Yakubu Salihu, urged Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to direct the Ministry of Health to introduce significant incentives to motivate corps members to serve in rural areas, ensuring adequate healthcare coverage for residents.
