Many residents of the Oshodi area of Lagos State discovered for the first time that they were living with high blood pressure during a free medical outreach organised by the Calvary Zonal Headquarters, Province 89 of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, where over 300 people received medical care.
The annual outreach, held at the church premises recently, offered free medical consultations, eye examinations, blood pressure and blood sugar checks, as well as free medication for beneficiaries.
Family and Public Health Physician, Dr. Rotimi Adesanya, who spoke at the event, said hypertension was the most common condition detected, warning that many residents were unaware they had the lifelong ailment until they were screened.
He urged the federal government to make blood pressure medication free, noting that continuous access to treatment remained a major challenge for many Nigerians. Adesanya also encouraged residents to enrol in the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme, Ilera Eko, to improve access to affordable healthcare.
Pastor-in-Charge of the Zone, Jeffrey Aganbi, said the outreach was part of the church’s commitment to supporting underserved communities and bridging gaps in access to healthcare amid worsening economic conditions.
According to him, the initiative followed a directive by the General Overseer of the RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, for churches to give back to their host communities through practical interventions.
“We recognise that there is a gap in meeting the medical needs of our people, and this outreach is our way of helping to bridge that gap,” Aganbi said.
He also called on governments to strengthen grassroots healthcare delivery while urging other churches and faith-based organisations to invest in health, education and community development.
Chairman of the Abajodu Community Development Association, Adeboye Oludayo, commended the church for sustaining the annual programme, saying it had helped residents detect illnesses early and access medication they might otherwise have been unable to afford.
Beneficiaries, including Abiola Ekunola and Oluwagbeminiyi Odumeru, said the free drugs and medical consultations eased the burden of rising healthcare costs and discouraged self-medication.
More than 10,000 people have benefited from the annual outreach over the past 12 years, making it one of the longest-running community medical intervention programmes organised by the church.