As part of activities marking his 40th birthday, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, Chief Peter Ogundeji (Apata), has organised a large-scale free medical outreach across four major towns in the state.
Speaking with newsmen during the on-the-spot assessment of the outreach on Tuesday in Ejigbo, Ede, Iwo and Ikire, Apata emphasized that the programme was structured to provide medical support to 4,000 residents, with 1,000 beneficiaries allocated to each centre.
He explained that the outreach included free eye examinations aimed at identifying the specific needs of each patient, while corrective glasses were part of the support available for those diagnosed with vision impairments requiring such aid.
According to him, the initiative also covered free reading glasses for individuals who only needed assistance for reading, and others who struggle with near vision problems.
For patients diagnosed with cataracts, the outreach provided referrals for surgery. Chief Ogundeji noted that the surgeries would be sponsored and conducted in Osogbo once medical reports from the screening centres were processed.
Beneficiaries also received essential eye medications, including prescribed eye drops. The outreach further included blood pressure checks to assess the general health condition of participants.
Apata stated that similar medical interventions had been carried out in the past, but not on a scale as large as the current initiative. He said the rising number of people with untreated eye conditions informed the decision to expand the programme.
He urged residents to take their health seriously, stressing the importance of good eyesight to everyday life. Chief Ogundeji described the outreach as an effort to support individuals who lack the financial capacity to access proper medical care.
Apata commended the medical team for their work and described the exercise as successful, while expressing satisfaction that the outreach was able to positively impact many residents and reaffirmed his commitment to sustaining similar interventions.
While expressing gratitude, one of the beneficiaries, Fatai Gbadamosi, commended Apata for organising the free medical outreach, noting that he had been disturbed by an eye problem and hospital expenses before this timely intervention.
