Residents of underserved communities in Lagos will receive free medical consultations, diagnostic tests, dental and eye care, medication and surgical procedures from October 19 to 23 under a medical outreach by Pistis Foundation.
The five-day UBOMI Medical and Surgical Outreach will be held at Pistis Annex, No. 3 Remi Olowude Street, Eti-Osa, following an edition in Ibadan, Oyo State, which recorded 10,292 medical interventions for 3,611 beneficiaries in September.
The Ibadan outreach, held from September 21 to 25, included 2,121 medical consultations, 2,515 laboratory tests and screenings, 1,740 pharmacy interventions, 701 eye-care services and 438 dental-care services. It also recorded 109 theatre surgeries and 100 eye surgeries.
The foundation said the Lagos edition was aimed at reaching people who face financial barriers to healthcare, with services to be provided free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.
Surgical procedures will be subject to pre-screening to determine patients’ eligibility.
Speaking ahead of the exercise, the Executive Director of Pistis Foundation, Leonard Thomas, said the outreach was intended to reduce the financial barriers that prevent people from seeking medical attention.
“Healthcare should never be a privilege reserved for those who can afford it. No one should have to endure pain, live with a treatable condition or forgo necessary medical attention simply because of financial limitations,” he said.
Thomas said the foundation would continue bringing medical and surgical services closer to underserved communities to ensure that inability to pay did not prevent people from receiving care.
The Board Chairman of Pistis Foundation and Senior Lead Pastor of The Elevation Church, Gorman Akinlabi, said the initiative reflected the foundation’s commitment to improving access to essential healthcare.
He said the foundation, which is marking eight years of work, had recorded nearly 60,000 medical interventions through UBOMI since the programme began.
The foundation called on community leaders and residents to publicise the Lagos outreach, particularly among people who might otherwise be unable to afford the services.