The Eko Club Int’l, a global social club and Non-governmental organization of Lagos State indigenes who are based in America, Canada and some parts of the United Kingdom, has sponsored limb surgeries for 20 children in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
The procedure which took place at the General Hospital, Lagos Island last Wednesday, was part of the week-long free medical mission of the Club to their home State, Lagos, since Sunday last week.
The Eko Club Int’l representative, Dr. Tayo Ogunyemi in his brief remarks said, ‘What Eko Club International is doing here is to sponsor corrective limb deformity surgeries for children. We are doing this in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Health. We went through the theater and also looked at the ward. We have seen the patients, the surgeries that have been done already. The patients are currently recovering from the surgery now. So everything is going as planned’, he said.
‘The goal of the mission has been achieved because our aim from the beginning is to come into the community and give back to our people. Health challenges are critical in our society.
Our President, Honorable
Chief Saheed Olushi and the chairman of this medical mission, Dr. Lola Ogbara-Alogba put together the teams that came to Lagos, to give back to the community, providing free medical health care’.
Speaking further, he added, ‘The limb deformity surgery is just part of the project that we are doing. We also have been to other areas like Egbeda. We’ve been to Epe. We’ve been to Ikorodu. And we’ve also been to Ayobo. So, today we are rounding it off in Egbeda. So, the team is currently on the ground working, giving free medical care to people. And this is a new project that we just introduced into our medical mission. And so far, everything is going as planned’, he submitted.
He promised that, Eko Club International is looking forward to doing more projects like this in future.
Concluding, Ogunyemi thanked members of Eko Club International and everybody that contributed towards making the mission successful. He equally praised the leadership of Honorable Chief Saheed Olushi, the Vice President, Honorable Jide Damola, and all the executive members, including the chairperson of the 2024 mission, who ensured that the program was successful.
He equally expressed appreciation to local and foreign volunteers from the United States, Canada, and London who travelled all the way to Lagos from their base, all to give back to the people.
Addressing the Media , Dr. Tolu Ajomale, Head, Special Projects at the Lagos State Ministry of Health stated that the Ministry has had a very long history with the Eko Club Int’l in carrying out medical outreaches.
‘With the current outreach that we are doing, they have also decided to add an extra component to it, which is the limb deformity corrective surgery. Through this outreach, they have sponsored surgeries for 20 children who have lower limb deformities’, he said.
‘Now, of course, you know what that will do. Because a lot of times you see very young children going around with really bad legs, and it causes them a significant level of pain. It makes it also very difficult for them to go to school’, he added.
He explained further, ‘So imagine that dramatic shift from living like that and then being able to run around with your friends, play football, go to class without being in pain. You’ve changed that child’s life forever. And you’re giving the child an opportunity to project into the future things that he or she would never have thought of being able to do’.
He concluded by expressing appreciation to the Eko Club Int’l for committing their funds to support and sponsor the surgeries for the children.
He equally expressed hope that the Ministry in collaboration with Eko Club Int’l would be able to do a lot more in order to help more children in the future.
