Muideen Olaniyi
12 October 2008
PDP Youth Revival Initiative has provided free medical services for about 2000 residents of Gwagwa town in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The medical outreach covered treatment of common diseases such as diabetes, hypertension screening and distribution of free drugs.It also featured the distribution of corrective lenses to people with sight problems after eye tests as well as de-worming of children and the administration of Vitamin 'A' to promote their growth.
Apart from awareness talks on HIV/AIDS prevention, the need for antenatal care and importance of childhood immunization, pregnant women were equally given insecticide treated nets at the occasion.
Speaking on the essence of the programme, the group's coordinator, Dr Umege Kennedy, said youths in the PDP were trying to associate themselves with the people through selfless service to the community.
Kennedy said the group which spent about N500,000 to actualisation of the programme generated fund sfrom its members with no contributions from the party.
He said: "Though this outreach is under the umbrella of the PDP, we (PDP youths) want to serve the people. We are presenting ourselves for leadership through service. We are identifying ourselves with the electorate. We have started with the FCT. We are planning to make it a national outreach.
"The essence is to connect with the electorate. We cannot remain dormant anymore. We want to be on our own side. We realise that youths are usually being used by politicians to achieve their aims but later dumped. We want to get in touch with the youths , mobilise them in order to discourage them from being associated with ballot snatching and other electoral malpractices," he stated.
In her reaction, one of the beneficiaries of the free medical service, Balaraba Abdul Yekini, expressed happiness with the initiative by the PDP youths saying health is wealth.
The event was attended by the Disctrict Head of Gwagwa, Alhaji Shuaibu Barau, who also received medical treatment.
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