No fewer than 300 residents of Abeokuta Metropolis have benefited from a free medical and welfare outreach programme in the state.
The programme, organised by the Abeokuta Health Zone, which comprises of professional nurses in different field and also was part of the zone’s efforts to give back to the society and sensitize them on their health status.
Head of the Nursing Department, Abeokuta Heath Zone, Mrs. Olubunmi Odejide said the programme aimed at sensitizing the people about their health status, saying that it has now becoming a routine exercise, so as to give medical advice to the people.
She said it was imperative for the people to know their heath status, so as to proffer solutions to some illness while it was very minimal, noting that whosever has a very critical ailments would usually refer to one the State General hospitals.
“Indeed, it is very important to perform all the tests on our people, so as to give back to the people, especially those who do not have money, and once they know their health status, they will usually take care of themselves, it is more unless a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), of our field”, Odejide said
Also, the Chairman, Education Committee Nursing Department, Abeokuta Health Zone, Chief Nursing Officer, Mr. Adebayo Omotosho, noted that perception was to perform their routine community health outreach, saying that most people find it very difficult to visit health facility for medical check-up.
“In fact, most of people find it so difficult to visit health facility for their heath status, and they were living with one illness or the others, that is why we took it upon ourselves to bring it to their doorsteps, you can now see the way they were troop out en masse for the medical checkup”, Omotosho opined
He said most the people doesn’t have the means of visiting hospitals for medical checkup, some doesn’t have time and some doesn’t believe that they have illness, saying this would avail them the opportunity to know their health status.
Omotosho said that the community medical outreach would also prevent the people from untimely death, as those being diagnosed with critical ailments would immediately refer to general hospital for proper and comprehensive medical attention.
Some of the services rendered at the one day mission included, free blood pressure check, hiv/aids test, sugar level screening, free distribution of insecticidal mosquito nets, also the beneficiaries were given health talks.
Mr. Bamidele Shoyewo and Mrs. Chinyere Udofia, thanked the Abeokuta Health Zone for the job well done, said that they heard about the community medical outreach from some colleagues in the market, saying that they were expecting more of it in the nearest future.
They called on government to make available to every Nigerian health insurance scheme because according to them, many people were battling with diverse heath issues, but unfortunately, cannot help themselves.
Mr. Shoyewo and Mrs. Udofia, who was seen holding some of the medicines given to them after receiving consultation, said the medicine was for malaria treatment, also they were seen with insecticidal mosquito nets.
