The Chairman of Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State, Dr. Nicholas Kemi Nshe, has introduced a special incentive package for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) medical personnel serving in the council as part of efforts to address the shortage of healthcare workers and improve access to quality medical services in rural communities.
Under the initiative, medical doctors deployed to Shendam for their one-year national service receive a ₦150,000 monthly allowance in addition to free accommodation.
Other healthcare professionals, including nurses, pharmacists and medical laboratory scientists, are paid a ₦70,000 monthly allowance.
Dr. Nshe disclosed this during a two-day free medical outreach organised in partnership with the NYSC under its Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD) programme.
According to him, the welfare package is designed to attract and retain qualified healthcare professionals to bridge the manpower gap in the local government’s health facilities.
He explained that doctors serving in Shendam are provided with free accommodation throughout their service year, while other medical personnel receive monthly allowances to encourage them to work in the area.
The council chairman said his administration is committed to ensuring that quality healthcare remains accessible and affordable to residents, stressing that no community should be deprived of medical services due to a shortage of healthcare workers.
Nshe disclosed that more than 600 residents benefited from the medical outreach, which offered free consultations, laboratory tests, medications and health education.
He noted that Shendam was selected for the outreach because of the local government’s longstanding partnership with the NYSC, adding that he had maintained a close relationship with the scheme for over two decades.
According to him, his hotel had been made available free of charge to the NYSC for more than 22 years to support its activities in the area.
Beyond the medical outreach, Nshe said the council has embarked on the construction and renovation of primary healthcare centres across several wards and is also building a modern medical laboratory to strengthen diagnostic services.
He commended President Bola Tinubu and Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang for their commitment to improving healthcare delivery, noting that collaboration among the three tiers of government is expanding access to quality healthcare despite prevailing economic challenges.
Speaking at the event, the NYSC Plateau State Coordinator, Jonathan Iliya Yavala, said the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers was established to provide free medical services to underserved communities across the country.
He disclosed that more than 400 residents had received treatment by Saturday afternoon and expressed confidence that the total number of beneficiaries would exceed 600 before the end of the programme.
Yavala added that the medical team comprised 11 healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and medical laboratory scientists, who screened and treated residents for malaria, hepatitis B and C, hypertension, diabetes and other common health conditions.
In his goodwill message, the Long Gamai of Shendam, His Royal Highness Martins Shaldas III, commended the local government and the NYSC for bringing the outreach to the community, describing the initiative as timely and beneficial to vulnerable residents who could not afford medical care.
Members of the medical team, including Nurse Nfonuso Samuel and Dr. Tomisin Ilori, said the programme not only provided free treatment but also educated residents on preventive healthcare measures such as hypertension management, diabetes prevention, antenatal care and routine immunisation.
Some beneficiaries, including Miskhoom Silas Nda, Josephine Yilmen and Jessica Goyit, expressed appreciation to the Shendam Local Government Council and the NYSC, describing the medical outreach as a life-saving intervention for many residents.