LUTH takes awareness campaign to Oshodi, urges regular test
An official of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr. Bakare Tosin, has urged Nigerians to go for cancer screening at least twice a year.
He gave the advice, yesterday, in Oshodi, Lagos, during a cancer awareness campaign, screening and education organised by LUTH in partnership with University of Hong Kong and supported by Isokan Community Development Association (CDA), Oshodi.
Bakare, who spoke on behalf of the Lead Researcher and leader of the medical outreach team, Dr. Abdulwaris Akinsipo, said Nigerians are in the habit of showing up late, which further complicates their matter.
“Generally, cancers are not supposed to be deadly but people show up very late for examination. What we are doing here is to bring awareness closer to the people and the community.
“We want people to know that cancer is not malaria or typhoid, and can be managed. If detected early, survival is guaranteed.
“We advise people to visit the hospital twice a year whether there is a symptom or not.”
“We are partnering with the University of Hong Kong and it is providing support in terms of training and funds for the project,” he said.
Our goal is to attend to 500 persons in the area.
Treasurer, Isokan Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Oshodi, Kazeem Fawole, said: “We are happy that our people are benefiting from this. I took healthcare as a priority when I was the CDA Chairman. I took health matters seriously because of what happened to my wife who nursed diabetes for 17 years. Majority do not have N1 to cater for their health. So, we appreciate this gesture because health is wealth.
One of the beneficiaries of the programme, Fausat Adamson, said: “We are happy that we can still be remembered and someone deemed it right to bring this programme to us. The last time we had something of this nature was 10 years ago when LUTH carried out a free check at Ajibulu Health Centre, Oshodi.
“I am the chairperson of Oshodi-Isolo Social Mobilisation Committee (SMC) and we always try our best to sensitise the people and mobilise them whenever there is medical outreach. We hope the government will take the outreach to the streets to get people examined and taken care of health-wise. We need mosquito nets to be distributed and others,” she said.
