Total Life Concern (TLC) recently organized a free medical outreach for about 150 widows in Ikate, Lagos. The women came from places like Ajah, Surulere, Ikorodu, and nearby communities. TLC also provided food and transport to help the widows attend the event and receive important health services.
Mrs. Edirin Essiet, a lawyer and the founder of the Total Life Concern Foundation, said this outreach is done every year to help widows who need medical care. “We do this annually to make sure vulnerable widows get the health services they need,” she said.
She thanked Pastor Tobi Popoola of MFM Youth Church, Lekki, for supporting the program by sending a full medical team from the church. “The team worked very hard to make sure everyone got the help they needed. They came with many medicines and tools needed for health checks and treatment,” she explained.
The medical team provided general health check-ups, screenings for common illnesses, and one-on-one consultations. They also taught the women about how to take care of their health and why regular check-ups are important.
Specialists from I SEE Eye Foundation, Opal Medical Center, and All Smiles Dental gave free eye checks, dental care, and other consultations. All widows got some form of dental care, and 20 received teeth scaling and polishing. The women were also checked for general health conditions. Mrs. Essiet thanked all the partners and noted that every service was completely free.
She encouraged Nigerians to help widows, especially by supporting their access to medical care and health insurance. “Many widows are dealing with health problems they don’t even know about because they’re busy trying to survive. We need support from the government, private sector, and individuals to do more for them,” she said.
Essiet also appealed to the government to create free healthcare services for widows, especially those living in rural areas. She gave an example of a widow whose very high blood sugar was discovered during the outreach. “We want a full, free health system that helps widows from beginning to end,” she said.
One of the doctors at the outreach, Dr. Eucharia Egbo, described the services offered. “We checked blood pressure, sugar levels, malaria, eyes, and teeth. We also gave out medicine and health advice,” she said. She stressed the need for people to live healthy lives and warned against self-medication. “Always talk to a doctor before taking any drugs,” she advised.
Dr. Egbo also spoke about herbal medicine. She said that while the World Health Organization is looking at how to include herbs in regular medicine, using herbs wrongly can be dangerous. “Many people take herbs without knowing the risks. It’s safer to consult trained professionals,” she warned.
Another doctor, Dr. Faleye Odundare-Stephen, praised the outreach and said it helped widows find out about health problems early. “Many widows didn’t know they were sick until they came here, which means they can now start treatment.” He also warned against using herbs or medicines without medical advice, as they could harm important organs like the liver.
Mrs. Essiet said the outreach has helped improve the health of many widows. She added that TLC’s goal is to keep supporting them and push for better healthcare services for all vulnerable people.
