– As Folasade Lawal marks 60th birthday
Pharm. (Mrs) Folasade Lawal, celebrant (middle), flanked by two of her children, Oluwatobi Lawal (left), and Dr Ilerioluwa Lawal (right), at the occasion.The Immediate Past Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Lagos State Branch, Pharm. Iyiola Gbolagade, has lent his voice to the call on healthcare practitioners across the country to prioritise preventive healthcare.
Speaking at the 60th birthday ceremony of Pharm. Folasade Olufunke Lawal, founder, Victory Drugs Limited, held at the Church of the Pentecost Hall, Festac, Lagos, Iyiola averred that the aim of preventive care is to prevent a disease from occurring, or reduce its progression and impact, if it does occur.
The former PSN boss further urged healthcare providers to emulate the uncommon dedication of the birthday celebrant, by embracing preventive care, adding that the celebrant is not just a gift to her family, but to the pharmacy profession.
The glitzy ceremony, which was well-attended by healthcare providers, featured free medical consultation, health education, cardiovascular risk assessment, blood pressure and blood sugar check, anthropometry, mental health, wealth creation and vaccine education to guests numbering over 200.
Iyiola, who eulogised Lawal’s contributions to community pharmacy practice in the country, said the Victory Drugs boss is a pioneer of what could be called community pharmacy impact practice, saying she takes rendering pharmaceutical services to people beyond merchandise.
He continued, “Pharm. Lawal has impacted lives, and looking at the way she decided to celebrate her birthday, you would notice that it was a unique way. A lot of people have celebrated birthdays of this nature by going to one of the exotic halls to party and make merry, but she preferred to touch lives with her birthday by embracing preventive care, as against pump and pageantry. This is highly commendable.”
Expressing similar sentiments, Dr (Mrs) Mesiama Ekanem, an anaesthetist and critical care expert, who was one of the experts at the medical screening, described the celebrant as a bundle of knowledge, who is very passionate about preventive healthcare provision.
According to Ekanem, “She has a unique way of relating with her patients. She follows them up once they have been diagnosed and if there is a need for them to be referred, she would do that.
“I got to know her about three years ago and the first thing that struck me about her was that she knows everything and she has an answer to every question, not just a solution, but an accurate one. To the extent that she relates with all members of the healthcare team freely.”
In an emotion-laden voice, Dr Ilerioluwa Lawal, one of the children of the celebrant, who also participated in the free medical screening, described Lawal as someone who is favourably disposed to collaboration and peaceful coexistence, as against confrontation and rivalry, in the healthcare sector. He described her as an amazing person professionally and as a mother.
In his words, “She is the kind of person who can bring all healthcare providers, including doctors, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, nurses and others under the same roof and help them to coexist and see things from each other’s perspectives; which is exactly what we need in the healthcare industry, rather than seeing people who should be working together fighting one another.”
The younger Lawal, who has just completed his internship at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, noted that Mrs Lawal can be adamant, when it comes to the things she believes in. He cited the birthday celebration, as an example, saying she had vehemently rejected the idea to throw a lavish birthday party for her, while opting instead for free medical screening and ensuring that the event successfully held.
In her remarks, the celebrant recalled an event in 2018, when she was diagnosed with a tumour in her colon, which was later found to be cancer after removal. She said it was great news for her that it was discovered at an early stage, stressing that the experience further fuelled her passion for preventive health.
According to her, “That is one of the reasons we have a table on colon health at the fair and we have experts to talk to people about it. I decided to invest more in preventive healthcare. Mine was divine, so the best is to catch it early because it takes up to 10 years for it to develop into cancer, so the best is to catch it early.”
Lawal, who was full of smiles, further said, rather than engaging in jamboree, she always looks out for opportunities to preach preventive health and do very productive things.
“I just want something that will better impact people, because if I throw a party today, people would come but what happens after eating and drinking? They all go home and forget about today. In fact, they might eat what they are not supposed to eat. So I’d rather organise activities that impact people positively,” she said.
The immediate past Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Lagos State Branch, Pharm. Iyiola Gbolagade, has lent his voice to the call on healthcare practitioners across the country to prioritise preventive healthcare.
Speaking at the 60th birthday ceremony of Pharm. Folasade Olufunke Lawal, founder, Victory Drugs Limited, held at the Church of the Pentecost Hall, Festac, Lagos, Iyiola averred that the aim of preventive care is to prevent a disease from occurring, or reduce its progression and impact, if it does occur.
The former PSN boss further urged healthcare providers to emulate the uncommon dedication of the birthday celebrant, by embracing preventive care, adding that the celebrant is not just a gift to her family, but to the pharmacy profession.
The glitzy ceremony, which was well-attended by healthcare providers, featured free medical consultation, health education, cardiovascular risk assessment, blood pressure and blood sugar check, anthropometry, mental health, wealth creation and vaccine education to guests numbering over 200.
Iyiola, who eulogised Lawal’s contributions to community pharmacy practice in the country, said the Victory Drugs boss is a pioneer of what could be called community pharmacy impact practice, saying she takes rendering pharmaceutical services to people beyond merchandise.
He continued, “Pharm. Lawal has impacted lives, and looking at the way she decided to celebrate her birthday, you would notice that it was a unique way. A lot of people have celebrated birthdays of this nature by going to one of the exotic halls to party and make merry, but she preferred to touch lives with her birthday by embracing preventive care, as against pump and pageantry. This is highly commendable.”
Expressing similar sentiments, Dr (Mrs) Mesiama Ekanem, an anaesthetist and critical care expert, who was one of the experts at the medical screening, described the celebrant as a bundle of knowledge, who is very passionate about preventive healthcare provision.
According to Ekanem, “She has a unique way of relating with her patients. She follows them up once they have been diagnosed and if there is a need for them to be referred, she would do that.
“I got to know her about three years ago and the first thing that struck me about her was that she knows everything and she has an answer to every question, not just a solution, but an accurate one. To the extent that she relates with all members of the healthcare team freely.”
In an emotion-laden voice, Dr Ilerioluwa Lawal, one of the children of the celebrant, who also participated in the free medical screening, described Lawal as someone who is favourably disposed to collaboration and peaceful coexistence, as against confrontation and rivalry, in the healthcare sector. He described her as an amazing person professionally and as a mother.
In his words, “She is the kind of person who can bring all healthcare providers, including doctors, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, nurses and others under the same roof and help them to coexist and see things from each other’s perspectives; which is exactly what we need in the healthcare industry, rather than seeing people who should be working together fighting one another.”
The younger Lawal, who has just completed his internship at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, noted that Mrs Lawal can be adamant, when it comes to the things she believes in. He cited the birthday celebration, as an example, saying she had vehemently rejected the idea to throw a lavish birthday party for her, while opting instead for free medical screening and ensuring that the event successfully held.
In her remarks, the celebrant recalled an event in 2018, when she was diagnosed with a tumour in her colon, which was later found to be cancer after removal. She said it was great news for her that it was discovered at an early stage, stressing that the experience further fuelled her passion for preventive health.
According to her, “That is one of the reasons we have a table on colon health at the fair and we have experts to talk to people about it. I decided to invest more in preventive healthcare. Mine was divine, so the best is to catch it early because it takes up to 10 years for it to develop into cancer, so the best is to catch it early.”
Lawal, who was full of smiles, further said, rather than engaging in jamboree, she always looks out for opportunities to preach preventive health and do very productive things.
“I just want something that will better impact people, because if I throw a party today, people would come but what happens after eating and drinking? They all go home and forget about today. In fact, they might eat what they are not supposed to eat. So I’d rather organise activities that impact people positively,” she said.
, Lagos State Branch, Pharm. Iyiola Gbolag){kind=link}