Tijani Salako
Orile-Agege General Hospital has commenced the fifth edition of its annual Back-to-School Medical Outreach, targeting 3,000 children with free health screening and medical interventions as part of efforts to ensure they are physically, mentally and emotionally fit for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The one-week community health programme, themed “The Way Forward: Total Wellness,” offers comprehensive healthcare services for children aged five to 15, including eye, dental, ear, nutrition, physiotherapy and counselling services, while promoting preventive healthcare before schools resume.
Speaking during her remarks, the Medical Director/Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Dr Temitope Iyadunni Bakare, said the outreach goes beyond screening by providing treatment interventions and referrals where necessary.
She said the hospital attends to about 500 children daily during the outreach and has expanded the programme from five departments to nine departments since its inception.
According to Bakare, the initiative has also given rise to the School Oral Health Programme (SOHP), through which health workers visit schools to provide oral healthcare services to pupils.
She said screenings conducted during the outreach have revealed common health challenges among children, including vision defects, hearing impairments, toothaches and other dental conditions, noting that such untreated conditions often affect children's learning and overall quality of life.
“These issues contribute to absenteeism and poor classroom performance because some children cannot see the blackboard, hear their teachers properly or concentrate due to pain,” she said, urging parents to take advantage of the free programme.
The Director of Medical Social Services, Miss Aderonke Adeluyi, said the outreach has grown steadily since it was launched in 2022 and has become an annual community programme eagerly anticipated by children in Orile-Agege.
She explained that the maiden edition targeted 1,000 children but exceeded expectations by attending to 1,350 participants, prompting the hospital to increase its target every year.
Adeluyi said more than 5,000 children have benefited from the outreach over the past five years through free screenings, eyeglasses, ear syringing, dental care, counselling and other medical interventions.
Chairman of the occasion and Chairman of the Lagos State Health Service Commission, Dr Olukayode Oguntimehin, described the initiative as a vital preventive healthcare programme capable of improving child health and contributing to increased life expectancy.
He commended Orile-Agege General Hospital for sustaining the programme through its fifth edition, saying the outreach demonstrates the hospital's commitment to serving its host community beyond routine healthcare services.
Oguntimehin added that investing in children's health is essential because early detection and treatment of health conditions can significantly improve their development and educational outcomes.
Partners and sponsors of the outreach also praised the initiative and pledged continued support for child healthcare in the community.
The Band of Faith of Archbishop Vining Memorial Church reaffirmed its partnership with the hospital, disclosing that the group has contributed about ₦4 million over time to offset hospital bills for vulnerable children and would continue supporting the outreach.
Several officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Health Service Commission also commended the initiative and called for its replication across other general hospitals in the state to expand access to preventive healthcare for school children.
