Senate probes medical facilities, life-saving services in NYSC camps nationwide

The Senate has called for an investigation into the state of medical facilities and life-saving services in National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps across the country.

The resolution came amid the recent death of youth corps member, Comrade Etimbuk Daniel, at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Enugu.

Daniel, a former Student Union Government (SUG) president of the Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), reportedly succumbed to complications arising from minor headache after adequate medical services could not be accessed at the camp owing to extended delays.

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The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) had alerted the nation to the death of its former leader in an October 11 statement.

The Senate resolution was passed following a motion moved by Senator Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North-East), titled, “The Tragic and Avoidable Death of Comrade Etimbuk Daniel at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Enugu State: An Urgent Need for a Review of Medical Services in NYSC Camps Nationwide.”

The Senate noted that the investigation had become necessary because Daniel’s death brought to the fore a pattern of “systemic negligence, poor medical infrastructure, and absence of qualified emergency healthcare personnel or rapid referral protocols across various NYSC orientation camps in Nigeria.”

It resolved to establish how the late corps member died and to investigate the facilities and medical services available to NYSC members in orientation camps.

Presiding Deputy President of the Senate, Senate Barau Jibrin, described the passing of the corps member as “sad”.

He said, “The questionable circumstances in which the corps member died in Enugu, while undergoing the mandatory NYSC service, are a sad commentary on the way those who were supposed to be his handlers handled the situation.

“We do hope that they would have done better than that by making sure he got immediate medical attention when the matter occurred.

“But the fact was that there were delays in all aspects of the quest to get him befitting medical attention. It is sad. We don’t want that to happen.”

Senator Jibrin added that while available information suggested that the state government made provision for facilities at the orientation camp, it was surprising that such a death could occur from apparent negligence.

“The government is doing very well by providing several medical facilities. I am aware that the Enugu State Government is doing very well in terms of providing adequate medical facilities in that state.

“But I am really surprised. We are all surprised that the situation occurred. But once you have this kind of sad incident, what is supposed to be done is to investigate”, he stated.

Jibrin called for the investigation to be thorough and make recommendations to forestall a repeat.

“We need to have a proper investigation done, which the motion has really made clear. So, those who have to investigate, please do a thorough job so that this matter can be unravelled in a way that it will never occur again”, he said as the Senate passed the resolution.