The Permanent Secretary of Health District VI, Lagos State, Dr Mabogunje Cecilia Abimbola, has urged women and widows to prioritise their health.
Abimbola, who gave the charge at the flag-off of the community health outreach organised by the Rachel’s Women Court Foundation in conjunction with the Lagos State Health District VI, the Heart Message and Prixal Max Optical on Saturday also advised them to enrol for the Lagos State health insurance scheme.
The Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) is a health insurance initiative of the Lagos State Government targeted at achieving universal health coverage for residents in the State.
According to her, enrolling on the health insurance scheme is like saving for the rainy day.
She said, “When we are not healthy, we won’t be able to do what is required of us. We have to take care of ourselves. Today, we are going to check our health status and address our health needs.
“We will also check our blood sugar level. If it’s high, we need to look after ourselves. We will also check our eyes. I urge you to be checked for this. For our men, they will do prostate check while our women will undergo breast check-ups.
“Like the convener said, health is a priority but I will add to it. We are the CEO of our health. So I implore you to take full charge of your health and go for regular medical check-ups.
“How many of us here have registered for LASHMA, it is important. It is like saving for a rainy day. I want you to register for health insurance in case of any eventuality. We will go there without having to pay any money.”
In her opening remarks, the founder of the Foundation, Evangelist (Mrs) Rachel Abosede Ariyo Oyeniran, advised women and widows to prioritise their health and go for routine medical check-ups.
She said, “You have to know how to manage your health. Many of us are ignorant of our health status. It is very important to go for periodic medical check-ups. I want you to prioritise your health. Prioritising your health entails knowing what to eat and when to eat it.
“What we are here to do, many women have fallen victims of it. So this is why it is important for us to do it because early detection is important.”
On her part, Pharmacist Sarah Akerele of the Heart Message spoke on drug abuse and the handling of prescriptive drugs.
She said each individual is peculiar in the management of our health condition.
She added, “Drug abuse is very common among us, especially the youth. In the course of handling our medicine, we can abuse it. We are very peculiar in the management of our health. This is why we need to seek the opinion of medical experts. Ignorance kills. So you have to take proper care of your health by seeing medical experts and not roadside medical practitioners.”
Lagos Health District VI, Mrs Adeseun Dupe talked to the participants about preventive measures.
She said, “When God created us we were lifeless but when he breathed life into us, our hearts became active. And it hasn’t stopped since we were created. Our heart has been working but the day it stopped breathing that is the end of life. But ignorance can lead us to an early grave. As we are here, we have widows that are above 80 years of age.
“There are some preventable deaths. The blood pressure we are checking here today can prevent early death. Once we don’t check it, and it goes up, it could destroy vital organs in the body.
“So don’t die out of ignorance. If you want to stay healthy and strong, watch what you eat. If cholesterol goes unchecked, it could cause high blood pressure and other ailments. Upon waking up in the morning, drink water and engage in mild exercise. Live more on vegetables and fruits. Do away with carbohydrates. Eat it in small quality if you need to.
“But if you have high blood pressure, you will have to live with it till the end of life. You have to monitor it for life.”
During the program which also featured health talks, hundreds of women and widows were screened for ailments such as high blood pressure, eyes, cervical cancer, HIV, Hepatitis B, Urinalysis and more.
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