Experts have advised Nigerians above 40 years to ensure that they do complete medical checkups yearly.
They were also asked to take the issues of their health seriously.
According to a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Tuesday, the experts made the call during a free medical outreach organised by The Redeemed Christian Church of God Radio during the just-concluded Holy Ghost Congress at the Redemption City, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State.
The statement quoted an optometrist, Dr Abel Owah, as saying that it was important to pay more attention to preventive health.
He said, “Everyone after the age of 40 should do a full body check yearly, and take their general well-being seriously, preventive health is better.”
Owah also called on the government to fund, upgrade and make the primary healthcare system in the country effective.
He said it was important to upgrade the primary health centres because it would solve 70 percent of the health challenges in Nigeria.
He added, “If the government can make primary health centres effective, 70 percent of the medical problems in Nigeria will be taken care of.
“The primary healthcare is the grassroots care and it is closer to the people. A lot of lives will be saved if the primary health is upgraded and funded.”
He also called on RCCG to subsidise the cost of medication for members.
“Many aged people are diabetic and hypertensive, even though they also have eye problems, they should be given free medications because medicine is now very expensive. RCCG can subsidise it for their members,” he said.
The convener of the health outreach and host of the RCCG Radio Programme, titled, ‘My Health Show,’ Oluwadamilola Omola, said over 500 members were attended to by the medics at the Old Auditorium, Redemption City.
Omola encouraged Christians not to neglect their health.
“Christians always put their faith in God while they neglect their health, it is important to take your health as a priority, we decided to give back to society to enable people to have free medical checks. Blue Coral Health Services screened them for eye check, oral check, blood sugar, and blood pressure and the Ministry of Health, Ogun State were also around to monitor.
“Coge Health initiative provided Hepatitis B screening and vaccination, and they gave free medication on anti-depressants, hypertension. My message to Christians is that they should take their health because if your goal is to win souls, you need to take your health to be able to win souls. You don’t have to wait till you’re sick before going for a medical check-up,” Omola said.
