Despite extension, PHC not offering free diabetes screening
Lagos State government’s goal to provide free diabetes and hypertension screening and checkup for at least 800,000 residents may suffer a huge set back despite the state government extended the exercise for two weeks.
This is because when The Guardian visited one of the Primary Healthcare Centres that should provide the free screening on Tuesday; the PHC could not provide the service.
The Guardian visited Oluremi Tinubu Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) at 41 Road Festac, Amuwo-Odofin Council, the health attendant asked that the reporter should go to the health centre’s medical lab, but when he got to the lab, the man with the medical lab coat met at the lab said such service is not being offered.
When the reporter returned to the health attendant, she asked that the nurses on the hospital’s first floor should be contacted.
This was complied with but the nurses at the first floor said the programme has not commenced at the PHC.
A week earlier, The Guardian visited Agboju PHC where the nurse on duty said that its kits for conducting the test have been exhausted.
The non available of test strips then was just two days into the initial one week that the exercise was to last before it was extended.
Surprisingly, the PHC, which is one of the flagship PHCs in the state, claimed then that the test strips will not be available again for the week asking that the visitor should come back when the exercise would have ended if it was not extended.
The campaign tagged: “Know Your Numbers, Control Your Numbers” which started on Monday October 28 was expected to end on Sunday November 3, 2024 but was extended by two weeks. And it was to provide free screenings for blood pressure and blood sugar across all local government areas in the state, with a goal of screening 800,000 Lagosians within the one-week window, as part of the Lagos quota of the 10M Nigeria project.
Speaking during a media briefing to announce the week long programme, the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, highlighted the campaign’s objective to make health screening accessible to every resident in Lagos State.
“This campaign represents a powerful effort in the fight against hypertension and diabetes, which often go undiagnosed until severe complications arise,” he stated, underscoring the commitment to proactive health-seeking behaviors among residents.
He noted that the Project 10 Million; “Know Your Numbers” campaign, currently being promoted across Lagos is expected to have significant public health benefits, considering Lagos’s high prevalence rates of these conditions.
“This campaign is aimed at encouraging residents to check their blood pressure, weight, and blood sugar levels during the campaign week, Lagosians are invited to visit any of the state’s 300 primary health centers and 30 general hospitals to get screened. Free consultations will include tests for blood pressure, blood sugar, and BMI calculations, enabling citizens to better understand and manage their health,” he said.
But speaking on reason for the extension, Abayomi emphasised the importance of health screenings in combating the ‘silent killer’ diseases of hypertension and diabetes, which contribute significantly to the disease burden in Nigeria.
“By extending this campaign, we are encouraging more residents to come forward and ‘know their numbers’ so they can take proactive steps in controlling their blood pressure and blood sugar levels,” he said.
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