Rays of Hope Support Initiative (ROHSI) Otun Abese Medical Outreach 2025

Rays of Hope Support Initiative (ROHSI) Otun Abese Medical Outreach 2025

Jul 2, 2025 | News

 

 

On Saturday, June 21, 2025, the Rays of Hope Support Initiative (ROHSI) successfully conducted a free medical outreach at Otun Abese Community, Ibadan, Oyo State. Approximately 200 residents, comprising men, women, children, and the elderly, accessed essential healthcare services.

The outreach promoted health awareness, offered medical screenings, provided free medication, and educated the community on healthy living practices. The ROHSI approach focused on proactive health management and accessible care.

At the medical outreach, we provided health education where vital information on maintaining good health, regular medical screenings, and adopting healthy lifestyles were discussed with the participants

Also, there was medical screening to identify various health conditions early, especially on hypertension and diabetes, the two silent killers

Participants also received free medications courtesy of our sponsors and partners. On that day also some individuals that requires further medical attention were referred to appropriate healthcare facilities

Names of individuals with critical medical conditions were listed out for further support and follow-up through our WhatsApp community, where we shared daily health tips and other health opportunities

We extend our deepest gratitude to our sponsors: Codix Pharma Nigeria, Kemisola Bolarinwa through Next Wear Technologies, Africa Social Enterprise Workshop (ASEW) for supporting our social enterprise scheme and other anonymous contributors.

To our host community, Otun Abese Community, for their warmth and hospitality, and our Board of Trustees, Management Team, Staff, and Volunteers for their dedication and hard work. To our family, friends, and ROHSI Community, we say thank you all for your support and generosity. We enjoy always

Major highlights of the outreach:

  • A majority of residents are unaware of their health status, highlighting a critical need for increased health awareness campaigns.
  • Even those aware of their conditions cannot access necessary care due to the escalating cost of medical services.
  • There is an alarming surge in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly hypertension and diabetes. This trend demands urgent attention from the government and other stakeholders.
  • The preventable nature of many NCDs, which are tragically claiming the lives of our working and productive adults, is a significant concern that requires immediate and concerted efforts.

The surge in preventable #NCDs demands urgent intervention from government and stakeholders. We urge:

  • The implementation of practical healthcare policies (beyond paperwork).
  • Introduction of affordable indigenous health insurance schemes for underserved community
  • More partnerships from governments, policymakers and organisations of like minds to expand medical outreach programmes.

We reiterate our profound gratitude to all our sponsors, partners, board, and team members for making this outreach a success. We remain committed to bridging healthcare gaps and working towards accessible quality healthcare for all.

Thank you for your unwavering support.

ROHSI Management Team.

ROHSI SOS CALL TO OUR POLICYMAKERS AND THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AS WE MARK THIS YEAR WORLD HYPERTENSION DAY!

ROHSI SOS CALL TO OUR POLICYMAKERS AND THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AS WE MARK THIS YEAR WORLD HYPERTENSION DAY!

May 17, 2022 | Healthy Tips

Today, the number of the people living with hypertension has doubled to 1.28 billion, says World health Organisation (WHO), and nearly half of these people did not know they had it (More than 700 million people with untreated hypertension).

As an organisation working within the NCDs space, we know some of the effects of hypertension on our people! That hypertension significantly increases the risk of heart, brain, and kidney diseases that has caused many sudden death and disease among our people.

That, about 25-30% of medical emergencies at our medical centres got to do with issues related to high blood pressure and other Non-Communicable diseases (NCDs). That hypertension does not show signs or symptoms, but it can be detected through checking of ones’ blood pressure either at home or in a health centre. That hypertension can often be treated effectively with medications that are low cost (but not often affordable).

From our field experience and conversations with our community people, we saw the prevalence of hypertension to be so high. We are asking our policymakers, international organisations such World Health organisation (WHO), International Hypertension Federation and community influencers to arise and help with a framework that can help in reducing the risk and burden that come with this ailment among our people.

We ask that they make our primary health centres a working one (be equipped to meet up the need of the people as the first point of contact) where our people can have access to the best treatment and possible medical referrals in case.

The cost of hypertension treatment per person in Nigeria is on the high side. It has led majority of our people to source for alternative means or abandoning treatments due to the high cost of treatment and medications with little family income (that is to tell us that there is poverty in the land). For people to access medical treatments and medications in a month, it cost; them over #5000 (in a population where the majority survive on less than a few hundred Naira per day).

We are asking, let there be an increase in awareness, screening, treatment, and control of hypertension among our people. They must be encouraged to visit our Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) with the assurance of having access to best of medical treatment.

Let there be considerations to the cost of procuring high blood pressure medications. If they can do it with HIV/AIDS and TB something like that can be done with hypertension treatment and other NCDs.

We must know that hypertension and other NCDs worsen our people’s poverty levels since it would not allow them to make a viable contribution to national income that can lead to growth and development.

We at the  Rays Of Hope Support Initiative -ROHSI are saying; we can stop the surge of hypertension among our people if we all do our part.

We care for the  health and wellbeing of our people. That is why we are #ROHSI3.

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