The Rotary International has flagged-off its Family Health Days, targeting more than 5,000 Nigerians.
National Programme Coordinator, Rotary Family Health Days (RFHD) 2023, Mr. Bola Oyebade, announced.
Oyebade, who revealed that the project would cost a little above $.3m, said RFHD was meant to help Nigerians improve their health status and wellness.
“What we try to achieve is that people in different communities are able to know their health status.
“We are spending as much as $300,000 on this project and we’re targeting about 5,000 thousand families.
“During these days, we are having over 127 locations across the country, manned by experts, who will be available to conduct tests and screenings for various ailments and diseases for Nigerians free of charge.
“The screenings will involve all forms of cancers, malaria, HIV, polio among others.
“We’ll give drugs and where we can refer where necessary.
“We’ll also be distributing mosquito nets essentially to mothers, pregnant women, and women with infants.
“We’ll also be donating sanitary pads to younger ladies. These are what we’ll be doing all over Nigeria for the next three days starting from Tuesday.
“All over Nigeria, we have more than 127 locations. In Lagos and Ogun States, we have 66 locations”, he said.
Oyebade urged Nigerians to take advantage of the medical advice being made available during these days.
According to him, where necessary, the body would refer for further consultation.
“As a matter of fact, we had over 200 cases that were referred to in the last edition we did and some of them have been receiving free treatment where Rotary has taken over their medical bills,” he stated.
He thanked Bill and Melinda Gate alongside others sponsoring the project.
Oyebade appealed to well meaning Nigerians to join hands with Rotary in lifting many Nigerians out of complicated health issues.
The District Governor, Ifeyinwa Rita Ejezie, said that this project would help many Nigerians having one health challenge or the other, adding that the group was ready to give the needed medical assistance.
Prof. Olurotimi Coker, a psychiatrist and the guest lecturer, noted that stress was part of people’s lives, and advised Nigerians to develop techniques on stress management in order to avoid mental health disorders.
He also lamented shortage of personnel in clinical, adding there was need for the government to reverse the trend of brain drain in the sector.
