By Catherine Egwuonwu
The National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos (NOHIL), on Wednesday, organised a community health outreach for residents of Somolu as part of activities marking its 80th anniversary.
The outreach, held at Alade Market Somolu, featured free medical services, including blood pressure and blood sugar checks, malaria tests, hepatitis screening and the distribution of medications.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that specialists from the hospital’s departments of nutrition and dietetics, orthopaedics, trauma care, pharmacy, nursing, speech and language therapy, and general medicine attended to residents and provided health education.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Nursing Officer of NOHIL, Mrs Eniayewu Folusho, urged residents to seek prompt medical attention and avoid neglecting injuries, especially accident-related cases involving bone damage.
Folusho said the outreach was designed to promote health education and correct misconceptions about the hospital.
According to her, many people wrongly believe that patients treated at NOHIL often end up having their limbs amputated.
She explained that the hospital specialises in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting bones, muscles, blood vessels and other orthopaedic-related issues.
Also speaking, a speech and language therapist at NOHIL, Mrs Koleosho Bolanle, stressed the importance 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 said children typically begin speaking in syllables at about one year and gradually develop the ability to combine them into words and sentences.
She listed speech and language disorders to include aphasia, autism, delayed speech, stuttering, cleft lip and palate, dysphagia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
According to her, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, stress and exposure to excessive noise during pregnancy can adversely affect a child’s speech and language development.
Bolanle said the hospital’s speech and language therapy department had existed for more than 25 years and noted that speech therapy had no age limit.
She added that treatment in government hospitals was generally more affordable.
Speaking on nutrition, a dietitian at NOHIL, Mrs Lawal Adejoke, described nutrition as fundamental to good health.
Adejoke advised residents to adopt diets that were balanced, affordable and suited to their health conditions.
She noted that conditions such as diabetes and hypertension often required dietary restrictions to reduce strain 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 underwent blood sugar and blood pressure tests and received medications.
He expressed appreciation to the hospital for bringing healthcare services to the community.
Mrs Mariam Rasaq, a trader at Alade Market, said the medical checks confirmed that she was in good health.
She also commended the organisers for the outreach.
The hospital’s 80th anniversary is being celebrated with the theme: “Eighty Years of Excellence in Healthcare: Reflecting, Celebrating and Advancing.” (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
