LAGOS/Nigeria: The National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos (NOHIL), on Wednesday flagged off activities marking its 80th anniversary with a community health outreach in Somolu, offering free medical services and health education to residents.
The outreach, held at Alade Market, Somolu, provided free blood pressure and blood sugar checks, malaria tests, hepatitis screening and medications, as specialists from various departments of the hospital attended to scores of beneficiaries.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that experts from the hospital’s departments of orthopaedics, trauma care, nutrition and dietetics, pharmacy, nursing, speech and language therapy, as well as general medicine, participated in the exercise.
Speaking during the outreach, the Chief Nursing Officer of NOHIL, Mrs. Eniayewu Folusho, urged residents to seek timely medical attention and avoid neglecting injuries, particularly accident-related cases affecting bones.
Folusho said the exercise was aimed at promoting health awareness and addressing misconceptions surrounding the hospital’s services.
According to her, many people mistakenly believe that patients treated at NOHIL often end up losing their limbs through amputation.
She explained that the hospital specialises in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting bones, muscles, blood vessels and other orthopaedic-related ailments.
Also speaking, a Speech and Language Therapist at NOHIL, Mrs. Koleosho Bolanle, emphasised the critical role of hearing in speech development.
“Without hearing, there can be no speech. Children must first be able to hear sounds before they can communicate effectively,” she said.
Bolanle explained that children generally begin speaking in syllables at about one year of age before progressing to words and sentences.
She identified speech and language disorders to include aphasia, autism, delayed speech, stuttering, cleft lip and palate, dysphagia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
According to her, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, stress and exposure to excessive noise during pregnancy could negatively affect a child’s speech and language development.
She added that NOHIL’s speech and language therapy department had existed for over 25 years and stressed that speech therapy had no age barrier.
Bolanle also noted that treatment in government hospitals remained relatively affordable.
Speaking on nutrition, a dietitian at NOHIL, Mrs. Lawal Adejoke, described nutrition as a cornerstone of good health.
Adejoke advised residents to embrace balanced and affordable diets tailored to their health needs.
She noted that health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension often required dietary adjustments to reduce pressure on affected organs.
“Nutrition is individualised and should be tailored to each person’s health condition,” she said.
Some beneficiaries commended the initiative.
Mr. Ganiu Kolawole, a bricklayer, said he benefited from blood sugar and blood pressure checks and also received medications.
He appreciated the hospital for bringing healthcare services closer to the community.
A trader at Alade Market, Mrs. Mariam Rasaq, said the medical examination confirmed that she was healthy and praised the organisers for the outreach.
NOHIL is celebrating its 80th anniversary with the theme: “Eighty Years of Excellence in Healthcare: Reflecting, Celebrating and Advancing.”
