500 benefit from TMC’s free medical services in Lagos

Over 500 people have benefitted from the medical outreach organised by The Muslim Congress (TMC) of Mushin Local Government in conjunction with Afrachem Nigeria Limited.

The outreach held at Idi-Oro, Mushin, Lagos State, had doctors and nurses offered various medical services, including test on HIV, blood pressure, sugar level and eye test among others.

There was also voluntary donation of bloods and distribution of medications to participants that needed it. Medical experts gave talks on arthritis, the causes and coping skills.

According to the Wakil (Chairman) of the Muslim Congress of Mushin Local Government, Dr AbdulLateef Akegbeyale, the programme was to commemorate the World Health Organisation Day, create awareness on arthritis and to combat some common diseases in the environment.

Akegbeyale, who is also the Principal Medical Doctor, Yaba Medical Centre, said over 500 people benefited from the outreach.

“This outreach is to create awareness on arthritis; we got drugs from pharmaceutical companies and gave medications to those who needed it. Doctors and nurses are here to check participant’s sugar and blood levels as well as HIV tests. We have a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon from the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi Lagos, Dr. Musfeer Adebayo Owoola, to talk about arthritis. We also have Lagos State blood transfusion services to enable people donate blood voluntary, thereby making blood available in our hospitals,” he said.

Owoola advised participants to endeavour to visit a specialist when they notice any form of arthritis or joint pain.

He said: “Arthritis has no cure, people should engage in physiotherapy exercises so that the joint can keep moving.”

He advised that people should not stay at home and treat themselves and they should avoid going to traditional bone setters, noting that at the end of the day people don’t get a good result from them.

“Most people end up with terrible problems and will still end up in Igbobi, because what the traditional bone setters do is to tie baboon sticks and bandage around the hand or leg, they don’t do any test”.

He said some patients finally get to specialists with stiffness of their joint, which is very difficult to treat, adding that some have death of a limb and when that limb is dead there’s nothing that can be done. The only thing is that we can either safe the life of the patient by removing the dead limb or leave it there for the person to die with the limb.
Owoola explained that the National Orthopedic hospital has been blackmailed as amputation centres which is entirely false.

“We do have a lot of beautiful surgeries at Igbobi. 99percent cases we end up amputating are those that have gone to traditional bonesetters and have their limbs spoilt before coming to us. This is because at that stage we are battling to save the life of the patient by amputating the limb or leave the patient to die with the limb. The patient or the guardian has to sign a consent form before we amputate the limb,” he said.

Marketing Manager, Afrachem Limited, Abimbola Bowotu, urged participants to take good care of their health.

“I advise all participants to take priority to their health. Health is wealth, even if you have millions of naira and you have ill heath then it means the millions of naira will be worthless so you should try as much as possible to give your health a priority,” Bowotu said.