Victor Ezeja
Gerbera Care Foundation, an NGO that supports the welfare and the health of the girl child as well as children and women in marginalized communities, on Saturday, 30 December, organised a medical outreach programme in Ebute Ilaje, Bariga Local government area, Lagos State.
The outreach programe tagged “Ripple 2.0,” was done in collaboration with Medea Foundation.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe programme which was a continuous of the Ripple 1.0 done in December 2022, involved sensitization of residents on health matters and hygiene standards, medical examination by medical experts, distribution of welfare packages such as food items, antimalaria drugs (for those diagnosed with malaria), and mosquito nets.
Speaking during sensitization of the residents, Mrs Ogunkelu Bukola, a Public Health expert, stressed the importance of personal hygiene on healthy living.
Mrs Bukola, who thought children various hygiene practices advised parents to prioritise making their children imbibe hygiene culture to prevent contacting and spreading diseases.
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The health expert also sensitised the people about the cause of malaria (Plasmodium transmitted by mosquitoes), pointing out the need to keep the environment clean. She explained environmental conditions that enable mosquitoes to breed which include having stagnant water, clogged drainage channels, dirty waste dumps in one’s surrounding.
Danger of self medication
During the second phase of the sensitisation, the health expert warned the residents about the dangers of resorting to self medication whenever they fall sick, stressing that the best is to go for medical test to ascertain the nature of one’s ailment and approach a medical practitioner for proper treatment instead of buying drugs over -the- counter based on assumption deduced through symptoms.
Bukola also advised parents to teach their children about drinking clean water regularly and minimise consumption of sugary drinks, which according to her, are not healthy.
The free medical examination involved checking of blood pressure, blood sugar level, and malaria tests.
Speaking in an interview with Prime Business Africa about the programme, Olufumi Oyakire, a volunteer for Gerberal Care Foundation, said “yearly, we always do this outreach for the community not just for the women, not just for the girl-child but for the general public. Last year own was Ripple 1.0 and this year’s outreach is Ripple 2.0. So, we are in this community Ilaje, to reach out to people by way of giving welfare in packages as support of the less privileged.”
She noted that despite the harsh eocnomic realities that affected the response up of donors, the foundations were still able to organise the programme and offer welfare packages to people in the community.
“We are checking blood pressure, doing sugar test and we also have anti malaria drugs and mosquito nets to give out. When it is raining, this environment is usually flooded. We are lucky today because it is dry season. We recognised that they need mosquito nets, so, we are here with mosquito nets to give out,” she stated.
READ ALSO: Shanties On Waste Dumps: Sad Tales Of Ebute-Ilaje Community
Apart from the yearly outreach Oyakire stated that the Gerbera Foundation’s volunteers also visit schools to conduct sensitisation on certain practices that affect the wellbeing of the girl-child.
Oyakire called on prospective sponsors to identify with the activities of the Foundation aimed at bringing succour to people in marginalized communities.
Also, speaking to Prime Business Africa about the programme, Adebanke, HR Medea Foundation said the medical outreach was borne out of the will to help the people in their healthcare needs as they live in a poor environment that predisposes them to diseases amidst lack of functional heath care facilities in area.
“The free medical test would really do whole lot for families that need healthcare services,” Adebanke stated.
She maintained that such outreach would help in giving hope to the less privileged that despite the economic downturn, they are still remembered.
Other highlights of the event were a mini Christmas party for children in the area to have fun, distribution of relief materials like food items, and clothing, among others.
Not less than N300 persons recieved wellfare packages while many benefited from the free medical examination.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
