A non-governmental hospital in Akure, Onibode Hospital, has offered free medical services to hundreds of residents of the ancient city over the weekend.
Held at the hospital’s compound, the medical outreach saw beneficiaries treated for various ailments, while the medical team conducted free health checkups on several patients.
At the event, the hospital’s proprietor and founder of Success Gate C/S Christ Church Int’l, Primate (Dr.) Ade Ademisokun-Turton Onibode, explained that the outreach primarily targeted Akure residents as part of the hospital’s commitment to giving back to society.
According to him, “We have the intention to serve humanity and assist the government in reducing medical tourism. About 10 million dollars were wasted by Nigeria on medical tourism by government officials alone in 2022.”
Primate Ademisokun-Turton Onibode said, “Medical tourism has continued to drain the country’s resources and cannot continue like this. It truly shows that the federal government is overwhelmed.”
He stated that the project required a significant financial investment, and the hospital has been providing free medical services annually for over a dozen years.
Onibode emphasised that many sudden deaths occur because people are unaware of their health status, underscoring the importance of such outreach programs.
“Health is wealth. No matter how wealthy you are, if you are not healthy, it’s not good. Many people don’t know what’s happening inside their bodies. Some may be living with diabetes, high blood pressure, or other illnesses without knowing it, and then suddenly pass away. I don’t want that to happen; that’s why we organise this outreach,” he said.
Among the doctors who participated in the outreach, Dr Ogundeji Festus Olusoji encouraged the public to take full advantage of the annual free medical outreach.
Dr Ogundeji explained, “Today, we check people’s temperature, blood pressure, pulse, fasting blood sugar, and perform malaria tests. Afterwards, patients share their complaints, and we provide treatment. Although this exercise costs the hospital a considerable amount, we treat everyone free of charge, except when patients need to purchase medications we don’t have in stock.
“People should always come out to benefit from this outreach. Many discover conditions like diabetes only during these checkups. Early detection is vital because untreated illnesses can lead to sudden collapse or death, which deeply affects families.
“Not knowing they are hypertensive is like carrying a ticking time bomb. Anything can happen at any time. We have identified such cases and referred some patients to cardiologists at the State Specialist Hospital or other facilities for further treatment.
“In this part of the world, many chase wealth but forget their health. Even when money comes, it should be used to care for your health. Otherwise, what’s the benefit? My best advice is for people to visit the nearest hospital regularly to check their blood pressure and blood sugar, especially given the kinds of food commonly consumed in Nigeria.”
