As a way of promoting public healthcare in the country, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Gbagada Zone, recently conducted a free medical screening for no fewer than 100 police officers and members of staff of the Pedro Police Station, Shomolu, Lagos State.
The free medical screening, which took place at the premises of the Pedro Police Station, Pedro, Shomolu, Lagos, offered opportunity for the officers who are often occupied with responsibility of securing the community to access free health counselling and screening on blood sugar, blood pressure, malaria, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol, diabetes among others
According to Pharm. Moyin Oshin, zonal chairperson, ACPN, Gbagada Zone, the programme was organised as a part of the zone’s contribution to improvement in public health, adding that health screening is important because it has been discovered that a lot of people are coming down with chronic disease conditions and health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes and other silent killer diseases as people as some people are ignorant of their health conditions.
Explaining further, the ACPN zonal boss noted that regular health examinations and tests can help detect health problems before they become complicated and sometimes untreatable.
“We know the police officers are always busy and they hardly have time for their health, so we have decided as a group to take this campaign to them by telling them how to get the right health services, the importance of health screenings and treatments as well as other important health information. We also organised this programme to further smoothen our relationship as a professional group with the law enforcement agencies in this community because we have had it a bit rough in the past. So it is a good way to start and we are happy it worked perfectly well, as many of them came out en-mass to get screened,” she said
Also speaking with Pharmanews, the deputy zonal chairman, ACPN Gbagada Zone, Pharm. Leonard Ohams, explained that the free medical screening and awareness was organised by the association in partnership with Shalina Healthcare as part of the association’s contribution to improve public healthcare.
Ohams, who dismissed the rumour that community pharmacies in the zone are constantly facing victimisation and harassment by the police, urged the officers to consider their health first in everything they do, adding that looking healthy is not always an indication that one is free from diseases.
While thanking ACPN for the laudable programme, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Pedro Police Station, Mr Lawrence Iheukwumere, said he was delighted that an association like ACPN could come to their police station with such a beneficial programme.
He also debunked the rumour of frosty relationship with the healthcare providers, adding that if the relationship had not been cordial, it would be difficult for them to bring the laudable programme to the station.
He however appealed to the healthcare providers to report any form of drug abuse or fake drug case to the police for proper action, adding that the police and pharmacists could work together to rid the society of fake and counterfeit medicine.
Another police officer, Mr Afees Odunlami, thanked the organiser of the programme for giving him the opportunity to know his health status and the need for him to remain healthy, adding that his job as police officer is not giving him opportunity to have time for medical checkup in the past.
While speaking with Pharmanews, Pharm. Robert Ikwudimso, public relation officer, ACPN, Gbagada Zone, noted that the major health challenge that was common among the people screened were diabetes, high blood sugar and hypertension, noting that lifestyle modification and proper exercise coupled with stress free lifestyle is needed to checkmate the health challenges.
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