Fetes Kosofe residents with free health screening, food items
The Ilupeju Lions Club District has donated food items and conducted free medical checkups for residents of Kosofe Local Council Development Area (LCDA) to mark the birthday celebration of its President, Oluseun Ayorinde.
Ayorinde, who spoke at the event, said the gesture was part of the Lions Club International humanitarian service in providing succour for the indigents.
He said: “Naturally, what we do at the Lions Club is to provide service to humanity. We look out for those needs and we pull resources together to see how we meet these needs. Over the years, the club has grown to be one of the leading service organisations in the world. It has been tested and trusted with a good record of integrity.
“We are the only organisation that is welcomed by the United Nations (UN) due to the fact that over the years, we have demonstrated a high level of integrity, as all that is received for charity goes to charity.”
He advised Nigerians to prioritise their health, noting that the service was organised to raise awareness on the need for people to go for medical checkups.
Earlier, Chairman, Kosofe LCDA, Salami Yunusa, commended Lions Club for bringing such an opportunity to the people of Kosofe.
He implored Nigerians to go for regular check-ups to determine their health status.
The District Governor, Lion Club International, District 404B2 Nigeria, Kayode Oshunuga, said the gesture was Lions Club’s little way of contributing to the healthy development of the nation.
“Lion club International emerged from the United State of America (USA). If the government is doing everything for everybody in US, then the Lion Club probably wouldn’t have emerged from a developed country. The government cannot do everything, we have to come together and assist people.
He added that the club president has decided to give helping hands to the needy instead of throwing parties for those who are well fed to mark his birthday. “He wants to give back to the community. This is a trend that we have been seeing in our members and it is going to continue like that.”
Members of Ikeja Lions Club, an optometrist, Dr. Kelechi, said age, poor diet and ignorance plays key roles in visual challenges.
“ Age plays a huge role in depreciation of sight, as one begins to grow older, the eye begins to get weak just like the body gets weak. Apart from that ignorance is also a key factor, most people don’t go to the hospital to check their eye status until when the eyes are bad and in some cases the eyes are probably gone before they come for checkup.
He added we are in world glaucoma week and Eye clinics are sensitizing and conducting free glaucoma tests for patients to find out the status of their eye.
“This week happens to be the world glaucoma week and we are trying to sensitise the public about glaucoma.
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and it does it come with signs or symptoms. You would not know you are going blind. Because glaucoma begins to attack your peripheral vision, that is your side vision. So you don’t know you are getting blind because we mostly use our central vision to see what we want to see. By the time this central vision begins to get lost, you won’t know until you notice you can see with only one eye and by the time you go to hospital it might be late. Vision lost as a result of glaucoma cannot be regained.
He advised people to conduct eye tests at least once in a year and desist from exposing their eyes to direct sunlight.
“ Endeavour to protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses. What affects the body affects the eyes. Smoking, drinking alcohol are not good for the eyes. Eating healthy food, green fruit, vegetables, carrots, walnuts, walnuts and nuts are very good. Most eye diseases come gradually the earlier you are able to detect it the eelier you will be able to manage it and take care of it.”
