Gladys Fagbemi Foundation Provides Free Medical Outreach To 500 Residents Of Surulere

Gladys Fagbemi Elderly Care Foundation, on Friday, held its annual free medical outreach in Surulere, Lagos, where hundreds of residents were not only tested for various ailments but drugs were prescribed for them.

During the outreach that attracted more than five hundred beneficiaries, tests on some medical conditions like high blood pressure, blood sugar, as well as free eye assessments were carried out, while glasses were also issued.

There were also palliative packages for those in attendance as residents trooped out in their numbers to be part of the outreach.

Speaking to journalists, founder of the foundation, Mrs. Aderele Fagbemi, known as Mama’s Child, said that the annual outreach is used to celebrate the legacies of her late mother, on whose name it is instituted.

“Today, we’re celebrating the legacy of my late mom, Gladys Fagbemi, and the three-year memorial of my sister, Pastor Aderele Fagbemi-Lamaye,” she said.

“This is the sixth edition of the Gladys Fagbemi Elderly Care Foundation Medical Outreach for the Elderly, which is something that my mother has been passionate about, because my late mom was a nurse before she passed.

“She had always had a compassion for the care of the elderly, so that’s why, when we decided to, you know, uphold her legacy, we decided to start the Elderly Care Foundation,” she said.

She continued; ” I’m happy, this is our community, this is where I was born, and I’m happy to put a smile on the faces of the elderly ones in our community, and I pray that, God willing, it would outlive me, and my children as well would take over from her, whenever God decides to call me home.”

Speaking on whether the annual medical outreach would someday be held outside Surulere, she said in honour of her mother, the event would contribute to hold in the area, precisely in front of the deceased house in her honour.

“Surulere and Constituency is Mama’s place. That’s where she lived all her marital life. That’s where we were born, and we would like to keep up Mama’s wishes.

“So, for as long as we can, we would keep it with this. But, however, we also have another foundation, which is for my sister, Adasa Foundation; Adasa Global Foundation.

“Adasa is more far-reaching. We are in about 10 countries all over the world, we’re in the UK, the Philippines, Canada, the United States, Tanzania, Kenya.

“In that one, we are not relegated to a particular location, but in terms of the elderly care outreach, it has to be in the Surulere community,” she said.

She also spoke on the number of doctors and beneficiaries in Friday’s outreach, revealing that there are about 500 elderly persons, with medical experts in various fields attending to them.

“For the beneficiaries, we gave out about 500 cards, so we should have about 500 because everybody’s there with his or her card. Even though there are some people who are not here who are not here with their cards, and I asked the doctors to attend to, because in this community, we are like a family.

“For the doctors, we have about eight doctors, four optometrists, a matron, and four nurses,” she said.

She also said that the family had been the one funding the outreach all these years.

“By His grace, God has been helping us. Mama lived a very fulfilling life, which has impacted us, her children. So, and according to our wishes, it’s fully funded by the family,” she said.

On the challenges so far, Mrs Aderele said such issues, if it ever existed, is a stepping stone for them.

“I would call them stepping stones. Every year, it keeps getting better. The crowd keeps increasing. There are people that have come all over from Shitta and Akerele Streets.

“Initially, we started from this community, after the Ore Ofe, but we have people from Akerele, Shitta, so we’re expanding, and we hope to even expand more.

“Maybe in the seventh edition, we will move it to the Love Garden Community, because I’ve seen that we have outgrown the front of Mama’s house,” she said.

She noted that the government is doing their bit, and challenge individuals to collaborate with the government in order to deepen healthcare.

“The government is doing their bit, and we, as a people, have to collaborate with them. The government can not do everything, and that’s why we’re doing what we are doing our bit. The government is doing their own, and they support us as well.

“Last year, doctors from the Lagos State Ministry of Health came to join us,” she added.Meanwhile, Prophetess Dr. Augustina Ifeanyi Uche Ueamaka, a niece to the late Ma Gladys Fagbemi, also hailed the legacies of the deceased in an interview.

“Mama was a nice person. What you are seeing today is inborn. My grandfather, who is the father of Mama, was a doctor and had a lot of children, wives, and seven wives. And all of them have children from him.

“He was a nice person and had a large family. Those that are looking for food, he would give them free of charge. He didn’t collect money from them. So, Mama took after him,” she said.

Some beneficiaries of the free medical outreach spoke to journalists.

A recipient, Pa Ade Kayode, who was visibly excited, said that he hoped to be financially part of the outreach someday.

“I am so excited and I can tell you that the foundation is doing well.

“I believe that one day I will contribute to the foundation because what they are doing is great. You can see a large crowd of people here,” he said.

Another beneficiary, Mrs. Mary Irabor, said that Mama was part of their church.

“In our church, Mama Fagbemi was a mother. So, it’s time for our society, CWO, to come here as a beneficiary of this check-up.

“I’ve checked my sugar level and they did my BP pressure. And I saw the doctor.

“Doctor has given me prescription. So, I’ll go to the pharmacy and collect medicine,” she said.