Alimosho General Hospital, Igando, has offered a comprehensive medical outreach to traders at the Ikotun market in Lagos, to enhance their health and well-being.
The outreach, organised by the Friends of Alimosho General Hospital Committee provided free screening, medical consultations, counselling sessions, and other healthcare services.
The Chairman of the Committee, Dr Rukayat Ajibola-Bakare, said the initiative was designed to assist people financially constrained from taking full responsibility for their health.
Ajibola-Bakare said the committee preferred taking medical services directly to residents rather than waiting for them to visit the hospital.
She also urged the traders to see healthcare as a necessity and not something reserved for people who were sick or educated.
“Healthcare is for everyone,” she said, while encouraging traders to prioritise their health in spite of their business demands.
Speaking also, the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Akinyele Akinlade, said the outreach was deliberate, stressing the need to meet people where they were.
Akinlade said the hospital existed not only to collect fees but also to give back to the community through initiatives that promoted access.
“We are deliberate about meeting people where they are because the hospital is not only about collecting fees, but also giving back to the community,” he said.
He said plans were underway for a new clinic that would provide premium services without queues for people willing to pay for such services.
The medical director emphasised on the importance of regular health checks, noting that early detection of diseases could save lives and prevent complications.
Akinlade said good health goes beyond treating illnesses after symptoms had become obvious, as some people could live with conditions without knowing.
He said this was because certain medical conditions might not produce noticeable symptoms until they had become advanced, making regular checks important.
“Many people are living with medical conditions they do not know about simply because the conditions have not produced noticeable symptoms,” he said.
Akinlade said the hospital would continue to support medical outreach programmes that encouraged residents to know their health status and adopt healthier lifestyles.
He said taking healthcare services closer to the people would help reduce barriers that prevented some residents from accessing hospitals regularly.
The Vice-Chairman and Supervisor for Health, Ikotun LCDA, Hon Adewunmi Dada, commended the Lagos State Government, hospital management and traders.
Dada urged residents to enrol in the Ilera Eko Health Insurance Scheme, describing it as an affordable means of accessing healthcare services.
He advised residents not to wait until illnesses became severe before seeking medical attention, stressing the importance of preventive healthcare.
