Refer sick corps members without improvement from camp - NYSC DG

Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja

All State Coordinators of National Youth Service Corps have been warned against withholding any sick corps member with complicated health case in camp during the 2020 Batch ‘A’ orientation exercise.

The Director-General of the NYSC, Brig. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, gave the directive during the 2020 Batch ‘A’ pre-orientation meeting of management of the scheme with area coordinators, state coordinators, camp directors, camp commandants and collaborating agencies in Abuja.

He strongly warned that state coordinators will be held responsible if any corps member is lost to death as a result of negligence to the directive.

“No sick corps member should be kept in camp training for more than 12 hours if there is no sign of improvement.

“The camp clinics must be set up 24 hours before the commencement of the orientation course with adequate drugs, consultants from tertiary hospitals must be on camps 24 hours.

“On no account should any sick corps member be kept in training camp for more than 12 hours if there is no sign of improvement.

Corps members with complicated health cases should be relocated immediately or referred to tertiary health facilities for better management.

“State coordinators will be held responsible for the death of any corps member if found to be as a result of negligence. Drugs which are nearing expiration should not be procured for use for the camps.”

The DG said the scheme was committed to providing adequate security for corps members during the exercise.

“Accordingly, there is the compelling need to continually strategise and effectively liaise with the security agencies, NYSC state governing boards, NYSC local government committees and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the safety of the corps members before, during and after the orientation course.

“Intensive liaison with security agencies in particular, will help in receiving and acting on early warning signals.

We should be proactive and unrelenting in our efforts to strengthen the security of corps members and our facilities.

“Deliberate attention should be focused on effective surveillance and communication within and outside the camps,” the director-general said.