-Celebrates World Pharmacists Day
As part of its activities to mark the World Pharmacists Day 2021, the Young Pharmacists Group of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN-YPG), Osun State Chapter, has offered free medical and health services to residents of Osogbo, Osun State capital and its adjoining towns.
Explaining the motive behind the initiative, the Chairman, PSN-YPG Osun, Pharm. Ayokunle Omoniyi, noted that YPG is an interest group of the PSN, with membership open to all pharmacists licensed by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) who are not more than 35 years of age or more than 5 years post-graduation from an accredited Pharmacy school.
Omoniyi noted that the initiative was aimed at supporting the health of the residents as well as commemorate the ‘World Pharmacists Day 2021’, which is usually celebrated every 25 September globally.
He said the gesture was part of their social responsibilities adding that PSN-YPG Osun as a responsible body would continue to do this as a means of contributing their quota to the development of healthcare in the state, saying the programme would help the beneficiaries learn more about their health.
“We realised that a lot of people do not know a lot of things about their health and it is scary. Some of them have their blood pressures up to 190/80 and when you tell them they are hypertensive, they don’t believe you. Some people don’t even know they have low sugar. I am very happy PSN-YPG Osun has been able to help them.
“We have a free medical screening for all of the people who come here to present themselves to the officials. You’ll be registered. Your vitals would be taken and you go see the medical doctor for interpretation and consultation. Then, the pharmacists would attend to you and give you drugs to help manage and/or treat the condition”.
He advised the people to desist from consulting quacks just as he educated them on the adverse effects of taking drugs that are not being prescribed by the doctors.
While speaking, the Secretary and Coordinator of PSN-YPG Medical and Health Outreach, Pharm Emmanuel Atoyebi said they came to Osogbo, the state capital of Osun to cater for over 1000 people.
Atoyebi who said they organised the programme to commemorate this year’s World Pharmacy Day said the theme of this year’s celebration is “Pharmacists: Always Trusted for your Health”.
He further explained that the medical and health outreach featured point of care testing, free medical consultation and pharmaceutical care, free medications, health awareness on drug abuse, and sexual health.
“As part of our way of giving back to society, we are aiming at getting the very poor who may not be able to access medical facilities for fear of funds to get some kind of free medical service. What we’re doing is to check the blood pressure, sugar levels, we offering sexual education to the people, we are offering tuberculosis tests and HIV tests.
“We get pharmaceutical companies, corporate organization and other individuals such as The Living Initiative (TLI), De-Shalom Pharmaceuticals, amongst others as sponsors to support this vision and supplement what we have put down.
“We want people to be healthy. We are looking at this as one of the ways of contributing to society. We have drivers, market men and women who may at times cannot afford healthcare and most of the time they patronised quacks, that’s why this programme is targete toward them”, he stated.
He, however, charged the people to always consult medical doctors and pharmacists whenever they notice they have health challenges instead of consulting people who are not well trained.”People who patronize non-professionals are putting their health at risk, which is very dangerous for them. So, I, want to admonish them to always patronise pharmacists or they go to hospitals.”
The Governor of the State, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Rafiu Isamotu, commended the members of PSN-YPG in the state for organising such a groundbreaking medical and health outreach for the resident of the state.
Oyetola said the gesture would go along with the vision of his administration in ensuring that every citizen of the state has access to good medical care .He used the occasion to itemised some of the achievements the state had recorded so far in the health sector, saying there was no local government in the state that has not benefited from his qualitative healthcare service delivery.
“When I assumed office, I make sure we renovated all the health centres across the state with modern equipment and trained professional personnel, while we didn’t owe health workers salaries.
Also speaking, Pharm. (Dr) Siji Olamiju, special adviser to the governor on public health, noted that the theme of the global event “Pharmacy: Always trusted for your health”, was chosen to reflect the beneficial aspect of pharmacy practice, as well as numerous contributions of pharmacists to the healthcare sector.
He said 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 are ignorant of their health conditions.
Some of the beneficiaries, among whom are; Chief Mrs Latona Mujisat, iyaloja, Orisunbare market, Mr Adeleke Oyetunji and Latona Amina said, “It is only God who can reward and will bless these people for their initiaitves. See all the things they have given to us for free, we really appreciate them.”
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