About 1,000 traders and residents in Osogbo, Osun State, have benefited from a free medical outreach organised by the Femi Olutoye Foundation, with participants screened for hypertension and Body Mass Index (BMI).
The exercise was held at Igbona Market as part of activities marking the foundation’s second anniversary. The outreach provided free blood pressure and BMI checks, alongside health education and referrals for participants requiring further medical attention.
Kareemat Jolayemi, the coordinator of the exercise and a nursing lecturer at Adeleke University, Ede, said the initiative was designed to promote early detection of health conditions and encourage residents to take greater responsibility for their wellbeing.
Jolayemi expressed concern over medication adherence among some participants who disclosed that they had previously been diagnosed with hypertension and prescribed drugs.
According to her, some of those participants were not taking their medication as prescribed. She said the medical team counselled them on the importance of adhering to their treatment and maintaining healthy eating habits.
The coordinator also said some participants screened for BMI were found to be overweight, noting that excess weight could increase the risk of developing non-communicable diseases.
She said the team first sensitised participants on hypertension, including its causes, prevention and potential health consequences, before conducting the screenings.
“Hypertension is now a pandemic,” Jolayemi said, stressing the importance of regular blood pressure checks and early intervention.
A market leader, Shakirat Ajibola, commended the foundation for taking the medical outreach to the market, saying it gave traders who might not regularly visit healthcare facilities an opportunity to check their health status.
Ajibola urged traders to continue with routine medical examinations even after the free outreach.
The foundation said the outreach was part of its broader commitment to community-based healthcare and the promotion of good health and wellbeing. Its stated focus includes advancing health and gender equity through community health programmes.
The Femi Olutoye Foundation had announced ahead of the exercise that its second-anniversary outreach would target 1,000 traders and offer free blood pressure and BMI checks, health education and referrals for further care.
