Pistis Foundation has advocated collective action by governments, religious institutions, businesses and other stakeholders to bridge the healthcare access gap in the country.

The UBOMI Medical and Surgical Outreach, held at Lifepointe Church, Lekki, provided free consultations, specialist care, surgeries, eye and dental services, laboratory investigations, diagnostic tests and medications to underserved individuals and families.

The five-day initiative delivered 11,297 clinical and support interventions to 4,135 beneficiaries in Lagos, and comes amid rising healthcare costs that have made medical services increasingly difficult for many Nigerians to afford.

Speaking at a press conference, the Global Lead Pastor of The Elevation Church and Founder and Board Chair of Pistis Foundation, Godman Akinlabi, said addressing the country’s healthcare challenges required shared responsibility rather than reliance on government alone.

He said The Elevation Church was positioned to establish a dedicated legacy organisation and fund to mobilise resources within and outside the church for high-impact projects, citing the UBOMI outreach as an example.

The Executive Director of Pistis Foundation, Leonard Thomas, said the scale of the interventions demonstrated what could be achieved when compassion was combined with clinical expertise.

He explained that the programme sought not only to address immediate medical needs but also to alleviate suffering and restore dignity to people who might otherwise have gone without treatment.

“Every beneficiary represents a life that matters. No one should be left to endure pain, live with an untreated condition or forgo essential healthcare simply because they cannot afford it,” Thomas said.

He added that the initiative reflected the foundation’s commitment to making quality healthcare accessible beyond those who could afford it.

The outreach was implemented with technical support from Prohealth International, led by Dr Iko Ibanga, and the Hospital for Trauma and Surgery, led by its Medical Director, Dr Hakeem Badmus.

The foundation also acknowledged corporate organisations, donors and individuals who contributed funds, medical equipment, supplies, meals, medicines and diagnostic resources to support the programme.

According to the foundation, the contributions demonstrated the importance of partnerships in extending essential healthcare services to underserved communities.

The Lagos edition followed an earlier outreach in Ibadan, where organisers reported that more than 3,000 people received treatment and over 10,000 medical interventions were delivered. These included more than 100 general and gynaecological surgeries and over 100 eye surgeries.

Pistis Foundation said the initiative formed part of its broader commitment to improving lives and strengthening communities through healthcare, education, shelter and other social impact programmes.