RCE offers free medical services to 900 Nigerians

By Adekunle Yusuf

TO alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians in medical care, the Royalty Club of Egbaland, (RCE) has organised a two-day free medical outreach in Abeokuta, Ogun State to commemorate the 34th Lisabi Festival.

The participants, who trooped to the Centenary Hall, Ake, Abeokuta where the event held, were screened for a myriad health issues, including diabetes, hypertension and eye defects.

According to Mr. Adebayo Sodade, the president of RCE and Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Economic Planning and Budget, 900 people were screened at the outreach, with those who needed medical attention given free drugs and referrals to secondary and tertiary health facilities, to restore their health, while 15 people among those diagnosed of cataract and glaucoma would undergo free surgery sponsored by a  philanthropist.

“We decided to reach out to the poor and vulnerable in our community by organising free health screening in hypertension, diabetes and visual impairment. High blood pressure and diabetes are silent killers and the topmost non-communicable diseases in Nigeria. It is estimated that 30 percent of Nigeria’s 200 million population have hypertension, while 10 percent are diabetic and if undetected and treated, these will lead to complications such as kidney failure, heart diseases, strokes and, ultimately, untimely death.  Our intervention is to alleviate the fatal risks posed by these silent killers,” Sodade said.

According to him, this initiative was supported by Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Abeokuta, Vision Spring, Eleta Eye Institute in Ibadan; Unique Pharmaceuticals Limited; Healthline Limited, Lagos, and Quarry Imperial Hotel, Abeokuta.

Sodade noted that RCE, formerly known as Ake Royalty Boys, was established 13 years ago to foster social, economic, cultural and sporting developments in the country and promote  squash in Egbaland, in tandem with the interest of Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland.

To mark the 75th birthday of Oba Gbadebo, RCE, in conjunction with Ogun State Squash Association and the Nigerian Squash Federation, also launched the Youth Squash Academy at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Squash Complex, Abeokuta.