By Peter Oriyomi
A Lagos-based non profit organization, the Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, on Saturday offered a free health programme for hundreds of residents of the Ada and adjoining communities in Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State.
Many residents and indigenes, especially the elderly persons came very early to the venue of the medical outreach in Ada.
The free health programme tagged Ada Health Day by the foundation held in collaboration with Mount Davids Hospital, Ada was part of this year edition of Ada Day celebration.
The Medical Director of the foundation, Dr. Femi Olaleye, in his opening speech at the event, said the medical outreach is for residents and indigenes of Ada with various medical conditions, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, cataract and other eye diseases.
According to him, there are free screening tests, treatment and surgical operations for the people that will come for the programme.
Explaining that the gesture was to give back to the members of Ada community, he said: “My foundation in collaboration with Mount David hospital here in Ada is putting together a medical program for the benefit of the people of this town and the environs.
“What has informed this is the fact that I am from Ada, this is my hometown and I have been doing this sustainably all over Nigeria for the past ten years. It feels important to give back to the members of the community.
“My uncle, Bode Adediji, had set up this wonderful hospital here as part of his humanitarian project and we felt it’s important to leverage that project to deliver services to our people.
“We have put together services that range from breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, prostate cancer screening, blood pressure test, eye test, eyeglasses, prescription glasses, cataract operation, a screening test for eye diseases and of course diabetes and hypertension.
“We are looking at about 200 people. But so far, we have pre-assessed 50 people with eye difficulties and they are getting their medicated and reading glasses today.”
He promised to make the programme a regular event to show his love and commitment to his kinsmen and the community at large.
Also, the chairman of Mount Davids Hospital, Mr. Bode Adediji, in his remarks, appealed to residents of the town and neighboring communities to use of the opportunity of the medical outreach to attend to their health issues.
He said: “I want to advise the indigenes of Ada and its neighbouring communities to take the opportunity of what this hospital is set up for.
Olona of Ada and Dr. Olaleye
Declaring the programme open, the Olona of Ada, Oba Oyetunde Olumuyiwa Ojo, Ogunbodun I, said it would afford the residents an opportunity to get timely cure to their sicknesses.
The monarch, who described the medical outreach as a milestone, expressed appreciation to the organizers, particularly the brain behind the programme, Dr. Femi Olaleye, who is an indigene of the community.
The Olona of Ada also enjoined other wealthy indigenes, who are yet to give back to the community, to emulate Dr. Olaleye’s gesture.
