Members of Ikeja Club have urged a united front involving the media, government, private organisations, and social clubs to combat cancer by ensuring access to early screening and tests for indigent residents in Lagos State.
The call was made during a free medical screening organised by the club on Friday for about 200 residents of Ikeja and neighbouring communities.
The outreach, held on the club’s premises, covered prostate cancer tests for 100 men, as well as breast and cervical cancer screenings for 100 women.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Olusegun Ogboye, said early screening is key to determining the appropriate preventive and curative treatment.
Ogboye said, “Even when we decentralise and start to work in primary health centres in the district, there is still the need for outreaches to our communities.
“Opportunities like this are created when social clubs mobilise their members and give us access to offer screening services.
“If you don’t know what’s wrong with you, you won’t get access to the best care. The earlier you detect a problem, the easier it is to nip it in the bud before it becomes a major issue.
“The major aspect of any health system is to improve outcomes for the people, enhance patient satisfaction, and create financial protection so that one illness does not bankrupt anybody or their family.
“One way to achieve these is by reaching communities with screening services to ensure everyone is well—or quickly gets preventive or curative care if they’re not.”
The Ikeja Club President, Musediq Adeleke, explained the motivation behind the outreach.
Adeleke said, “We are conducting free medical check-ups for men and women in the community—prostate cancer for men and breast and cervical cancer for women.
“We cannot expect the government to do everything alone; that’s why we decided to organise this. This is our inaugural edition, and we chose these diseases because they are common.
“We wanted to help the less privileged and those who cannot afford to pay for screening.
“If anyone is diagnosed with any of these ailments, the club will follow up and assist them to get treatment.”
Vice President of Ikeja Club, Abayomi Akinomoyinmi, noted the personal significance of the exercise.
“These ailments are common in both men and women. For instance, prostate cancer is very prevalent among men. My father died of prostate cancer, and my maternal grandfather.
“For women, breast and cervical cancers remain some of the deadliest. That is why we decided to offer these free screenings for our members and the entire Ikeja community.
“We plan to do this regularly. I also believe the government should raise more awareness through publicity, and the media has a big role to play in that,” he said.
Deputy Coordinator of The Group, an arm of Ikeja Club, Elijah Osibajo, stressed the importance of regular health checks.
Osibajo noted, “Medical checks are essential. Many deaths could have been avoided if tests like these had been done.
“What we are doing now may not be enough, but it will help people understand that health is wealth. We are targeting 100 men and women for this first edition.”
One of the beneficiaries, 67-year-old Comfort Samuel, expressed her gratitude to the club for the free medical screening programme.
Samuel said, “This outreach is very good, especially for the elderly. In October, I will be 68, and I am still looking well.
“I commend the organisers for thinking about this free medical test. It will help many people who cannot afford the bill.”
