Kunle Adelabu & Mariam Akinloye
Residents of Ikorodu that benefited from the free health care provided by the Eko Club International in partnership with iCare Foundation, have commended the organisations for the gesture.
The medical services provided were free Health Education, Diabetes Screening & Intervention and Dental Check, General Health Screening & Intervention, Procedures & Surgeries, Free Medication and Vision Screening with free Frame.
At the medical mission, which took place at the Rep. Babajimi Benson’s Federal Constituency Office in Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area of Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, several members of the Eko Club International were on ground to participate fully in the exercise while the iCare team served as volunteers.
The humanitarian group which consists of Lagosians who are based in the United States of America (USA), Canada and United Kingdom, started their medical outreach in 2007, and has since been intervening in medical assistance for Lagos residents except for 2014 and 2020 due to the Ebola outbreak and COVID 19 pandemic respectively.
Chief Saheed Olusi , President of Eko Club International, speaking with THE IMPACT, said that they are reaching out to at least 5000 Lagosians across the five Divisions that make up the state.
“For this year, we are providing medical outreach across the five divisions of Lagos State. We have already completed the exercise in two areas under the Ikeja division; which are Isolo and ldimu. Also, under the Badagry Division, we have already done Badagry and Apa.
“We are now in Ikorodu and we will also be going to Imota, another part of Ikorodu Division. Afterwards, we will be going to Lagos Island, where we are also going to be reaching out to the people in two locations on the Island and Epetedo.
“We will be rounding off in the Epe Division, where there will be outreach in Ejinrin and Epe kingdom”.
He said that their plans was to reach out to 500 residents in each location, adding that they are expecting more people from Ikorodu going by their previous experiences.
“The average figure we are expecting is 500 per day at every location. So, by the time we complete our mission, we will have catered for about 5000 people, but that is also depending on the locations. Ikorodu is one of the areas that we are expecting to get more people because we have been here many times and we know that Ikorodu people always come out”, Chief Olusi said.
“Ikorodu people always come out en masse to benefit from our mission and by the time we came here this morning, we were told that they had more than 500 people, that means, we will do more than 500 today”, he added.
More so, the Eko Club International President said that their intervention was due to the fact that government alone cannot provide enough for the people; even in the advanced countries.
“Even in developed countries, no matter how much the government is doing, it is never enough to take care of everything. That is why non – profit making organizations will always come in to take up some issues and that is what we are doing, especially in Nigeria.
“In Nigeria and Africa in general, we understand that the government might not be able to take care of everybody which is why we are not going to Lekki or Ajah or Victoria lsland to provide this kind of service because the people there can afford it, so, that is the more reason that we are here”, he said.
The Director – General, iCare Foundation, Mayor Muhydeen Sanwoola, said that the working team of Rep. Babajimi Benson is partnering with the international humanitarian organization to bring free and quality health care services to residents of Ikorodu.
“Eko International Club which consists of Lagosians in diaspora, usually undertake a free medical mission every year. This year, iCare Foundation of Hon. Babajimi Bensons is partnering with them to bring free health services to lkorodu Federal Constituency for our constituents to benefit from the gesture”, he said.
“Typically, they do attend to between 300 and 500 people at every given time, but today, we had to stop registration at 600 and there are still many more”.
Meanwhile, some of the beneficiaries that spoke with our reporters commended the initiative.
Mrs Yetunde Tinuade, a resident of Ikorodu, said that beneficiaries were attended to very well.
“I came for free medical outreach which Eko Club is organising in partnership with Hon Babajimi Benson’s iCare Foundation, because I am not feeling fine. They are doing a very good job and attending to us appropriately. I have undergone some tests and they discovered that I have typhoid”, she said.
Another resident, Mrs Oyinade, said that he learnt about the mission on the radio.
“I came for the free medical outreach because I heard about it on the IKD radio. We thank them for bringing the program to Ikorodu. It is a very laudable one”, she said.
“We pray that God should continue to strengthen those that organised this program. They are doing general body check and eye test and they are also attending to us very well. It’s a good program and those that came for the exercise are being attended to accordingly.
Also speaking, Mr Animashaun said:
“I came for a free medical test because I have diabetes and body pains. They are attending to us normally. They asked us to go from section to another and they attended to us properly.
“I pray that it shall be well with those that organized this program”, he prayed.
Mr Uthman, who came for eyes check, said:
“I came for the free medical outreach because I have eye problems. My eyes always disturb me and they attended to us normally without wasting our time.
Another eye patient, Mr Razak, also commended the initiative.
