LASG targets 250,000 residents to reduce hearing, visual impairments
The Lagos State Government says it is targeting 250,000 beneficiaries in the 4th edition of the BOSKOH HMI Medical Outreach to reduce visual and hearing impairment cases.
Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu stated this at the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu/Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat Health Mission International Medical Outreach tagged “JigiBola Relaunch,”on Thursday at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos.
According to him, no fewer than 250,000 Lagos residents in eight local government areas community sites, eight market sites and eight Police Barracks are to benefit from the 2022 edition of the programme.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said there was a need to ensure optimal healthcare that cuts across the age divide in society.
“Health as we all know is wealth, and only healthy people make a healthy nation, this underscores the importance of healthy living in any society.
“We must look after our health and every part of our bodies hence the need to relaunch the Jigi-Bola Initiative in conjunction with BOSKOH HMI.
“The massive impact recorded during the introduction of this initiative and the joy of residents in Lagos State who benefitted from the Jigi-Bola Initiative under the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Governor of Lagos State saved several lives from preventable blindness.
“The initiative restored beneficiaries to their livelihood, and this justifies our decision to keep it on after the initial relaunch in 2019,” the governor explained.
Sanwo-Olu assured that his administration had made enough provisions to carry out free sight and hearing aid screening on residents across the state, to ensure residents did not lose their vision and hearing organs when it could be prevented.
He said that through the BOSKOH HMI, his administration had continued to lead the frontiers in delivering good healthcare.
“We have taken a bold step of broadening the scope of the mission to include other health provisions beyond the provision of visual and hearing aids programme, to cater for the need of Lagos residents whose health needs do not fall within visual and hearing impairments
“Vision and hearing difficulties before they become impaired can be prevented with early detection, care, and other medical interventions.”
The governor, therefore, reassured of his administration’s commitment to improving the well-being and welfare of the people through the BOSKOH HMI.
Dr. Sanwo-Olu stated that a large number of cases of visual impairment could have been prevented if they were detected early and treated effectively.
In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, BOSKOH HMI, Mrs. Nike Osa, said that the initiative had recorded significant milestones since its inception in 2019.
Osa said it had continued to render free medical and humanitarian services to citizens in the state.
She noted that its focus was to ensure that people who were unable to afford medical care got free treatment through its immediate intervention.
Osa disclosed that the free medical services and screening would be extended to Police Barracks and markets in the state starting from now till the end of August.
Punch
