ST Vincent De Paul Society, an arm of St Brigids Catholic Church Ijesha Lagos, in partnership with Mass Medical Mission, has offered free medical services and cancer screening to residents of Ijesha.
Aside from offering residents free eye test, cervical, breast and prostate cancer screening, the church also provided opportunities for the residents to know their health status.
The Parish Priest Very Rev Father Alphonsus Ania lamented the inability of Nigerians to observe regular medical checks due to financial constraints.
Ania said the gesture was to safeguard community and family health.
His words: “What we are doing is to reach out, create a medical outreach that ensures that our host community where we minister, benefits from the welfare package of the church.
“A lot of people take local herbs whenever they are sick but the challenge is knowing the right quantity to be consumed.”
He further explained that the exercise will help the residents to get referral to bigger facility for cases that the church’s medical team cannot handle.
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He called on government to prioritise the health of Nigerians and upgrade medical facilities in public to make healthcare available to all.
The President of the association, Mrs. Edith Oguamanam, said the yearly exercise was expanded this year with the collaboration to reach out to those with life- threatening ailment and persons.
Oguamanam said: “I have realised over time that many people do not care about their health status; they just want to work.
“Even when they are ill, they diagnose the ailment and treat themselves without even going to the hospital.
“We do not want them to carry on with such attitude and that is why we try to educate them on the importance of going to visit the doctor when they are ill.
“I am so happy about the turnout of people; it is all for their good. Some people have high blood pressure which is hidden and they are not aware.
“It is important that people check themselves regularly so that they can know their status and stay healthy. “She said that the association plans to carry out more free medical exercise in future in order to provide healthcare delivery for residents.
Chairperson of the planning committee, Cyril Odume, said that the major challenge facing communities include inability to access healthcare delivery.
According to Odume: “One reason we engage in what we are doing is we have found out in communities that there is a great challenge in accessing healthcare.
