Nearly 400 residents of Lagos have received free medical screening, treatment and health insurance enrolment during a two-day outreach organised by the General Hospital, Somolu, in partnership with government agencies and health-focused charities.

The intervention, which began at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, and continued at the General Hospital, Somolu, was designed to remove cost barriers to basic healthcare and promote early detection of common illnesses among underserved communities.

At the Somolu leg of the programme, residents were screened for hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, prostate cancer and malaria. Mental health checks and counselling were also provided, alongside medications for those diagnosed with various conditions.

Participants were further assisted to enrol in the Lagos State Health Management Agency health insurance scheme, a move organisers described as crucial to ensuring that beneficiaries continue to access care after the outreach ends.

The initiative brought together the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Lagos State Health Management Agency, Global Health Charity and Training Foundation, National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, DBA Comprehensive Health Charity and Capacity Health Foundation.

Declaring the outreach open on behalf of the Medical Director and Chief Executive Officer of General Hospital, Somolu, Adesina Ayodele, the Deputy Medical Director, Nathaniel Oja, said the hospital considered the programme significant because of the breadth of services offered at no cost to residents.

Ayodele, in remarks delivered by Oja, commended the partner organisations for funding and supporting the outreach and praised the medical personnel and volunteers who worked across both locations. He stressed that while health is a basic human right, preventing disease through regular checks remains more effective and less costly than treating advanced illness.

The hospital used the outreach to encourage beneficiaries who required further evaluation or treatment to return for follow-up visits, warning against viewing the free programme as a one-off substitute for continuous care. Ayodele assured patients that the facility would provide additional support within its capacity.

Lead partner Adebayo Akintobi of the Global Health Charity and Training Foundation reminded participants that all services were free and urged them to speak openly with doctors, ask questions and fully understand their test results before leaving.

Akintobi said the foundation hoped to deepen its collaboration with the hospital as part of wider efforts to expand access to quality healthcare in Lagos. Organisers noted that by combining clinical checks with insurance enrolment, the outreach aimed not only to treat immediate complaints but also to identify hidden health risks and link residents to longer-term care.