Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State has said that the Eko Free Health Mission, a free medical expedition being taken to every part of the state, is the cornerstone of the state government’s preventive healthcare policy and plan.
Fashola, who spoke at the ongoing round of the free health mission in Kosofe Local Government Area, explained that the intention is to ensure that the free medical service reaches every corner of the state, adding that the emphasis now is on preventive health care.
He said: “The truth is that we don’t want you in hospitals.
“We want you to be well, we want you to be healthy, we want you to be productive and therefore this typical mission that brings health care diagnosis, counseling and treatment to you at your door step is the most important health care policy any state could really implement.”
He noted that the free health mission is a programme of his government since inception that was designed on purpose to strengthen the state’s capacity to deliver on its preventive health care policy.
Fashola added: “We believe very strongly that the best health policy is the preventive health policy.
“The strategy is keeping people well, keeping them from diseases and deliver our deliverables through a combination of so many things: improved water supply, sanitation, cleaning of the environment and of course this strategic missions are part of the process in a way that they help screen and prevent diseases.”
The governor, who expressed concern at the rate people require serious curative interventions for disease that could have been prevented, noted that stop-gap interventions like the free medical missions, will help strengthen the preventive health strategy, thus preventing people from falling sick.
The governor added: “Our people get strokes, cardiovascular accidents and then require serious curative interventions, but these are diseases that are preventable if people check their blood pressure and sugar levels.
“This is what this is about, and where we see things that are indicative of warning signs, our health care providers take control to provide prescription, referral or counseling.”
Fashola. while expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the over 220 health care providers who volunteered to help bring health care services to the door step of the people through the medical mission, noted that their gesture is indicative of people that have compassion and value for human lives and who want to care for the people despite challenges they faced.
He said that the testimonials of those who have benefited from the programme are indicative of a government that is alive to its responsibilities. stressing that in the two days of the medical expedition in Kosofe LGA, over 8,000 people have benefited from various health services.
He stated that the Ogudu Primary Healthcare Centre is one of the primary health care centres that is offering 24 hours service in Lagos.
He said this was is in tandem with the zeal of the state government to make the nearest primary health care centre to the people in any local government run three shifts of eight hours, giving 24 hours service.
He said: “This way, we want to stop losing women and children at child births because antenatal care is close to you.”
Earlier, the Coordinator of the state’s free medical mission programme, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, stated that the medical expedition programme is a stop gap initiative aimed at complementing and straightening services offered at health facilities in the areas chosen, especially the primary health care clinic.
Fasawe added that the programme, which brings health care services to the doorsteps of the people at the grassroots, helps in determining what disease is peculiar to a particular local government area, thus assisting in planning and implementing programmes and policies that will meet the health needs of the people in identified areas.