Worried by the high cost of healthcare, the Pistis Foundation has stressed the need to improve access to quality medical services for underserved communities.

Speaking at the official opening of the UBOMI free medical and surgical outreach in Ibadan, Oyo State, the Executive Director of Pistis Foundation, Leonard Thomas, said the decision to bring the programme to Ibadan was driven by the need to make quality healthcare accessible to economically disadvantaged people.

The five-day outreach offers free consultations, diagnostic investigations, pharmaceutical support, dental and eye care, general and specialist surgeries, health education and other medical services.

Thomas said UBOMI, now in its 10th year, was being expanded beyond Lagos as part of the foundation’s effort to reach more underserved communities across the country.

He said although healthcare was a necessity, the cost of accessing quality services remained a challenge for many Nigerians, adding that UBOMI was designed to help bridge the gap by providing care at no cost to beneficiaries.

According to him, the foundation was encouraged by the turnout in Ibadan and expected to provide services to more than 5,000 people before the Lagos edition scheduled for next month.

Thomas acknowledged the support of partners within and outside Nigeria, saying their contributions had enabled the foundation to sustain the programme and extend its reach.

The Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, commended The Elevation Church for bringing the outreach to Ibadan and reaffirmed the state government’s support for initiatives that improve access to healthcare.

She also urged individuals and organisations to support efforts to address the healthcare needs of residents.

The Founder and Executive Director of Pro-Health International, Dr Iko Ibanga, said the programme would provide surgical interventions for conditions including hernia, eye and fibroid cases, as well as dental procedures, while offering other medical services.

He said UBOMI had impacted individuals and communities over the years, recording a 99 per cent surgical success rate over the past six years.

The Resident Pastor of The Elevation Church, Ibadan, Oluwaseun Afolayan, said the initiative was inspired by the Christian teaching of loving one’s neighbour but was open to people of all faiths.

He said the programme was designed to provide healthcare without discrimination, noting that residents from different religious backgrounds had benefited since its inception.

Afolayan described UBOMI as a non-political initiative and expressed hope that it would become a sustained programme for residents of Oyo State.

According to the foundation, UBOMI has delivered 48,706 verified medical interventions since 2019, with a 99 per cent surgical success rate.

The 2026 edition is being implemented in partnership with The Elevation Church in Ibadan and Lagos, Pro-Health International as technical partner and Zenithcare Hospital, Oyo State, as the medical institutional partner.