Mrs. Oluseyi Kadiri, Medical Consultant, the Archbishop JKA Aggey Foundation, Lagos, says periodic health checks are necessary to avoid preventable deaths.
Kadiri made the observation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the end of a two-day medical outreach held by the foundation at Obalende, Lagos.
The outreach ended on Friday.
She said that the results of some of the tests conducted indicated that most Nigerians no longer go for periodic health checks.
“The results of some of the tests conducted revealed that the patients were already in dire need of medical attention while moving about to struggle for their daily businesses,’’ she said.
She noted that while it is necessary that people struggle for their daily needs, it is also imperative for people to check their health status.
According to her, “It is often advisable for one to periodically check his/her health status, as that would make for early treatment and prevent avoidable deaths,’’ she said.
Kadiri said that the Archbishop Aggey Foundation attended to more than 760 people, out of whom 118 were tested for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
She noted that some of the patients with serious health challenges were referred to health facilities for follow-up action.
“The referral at Sura Primary Health Centre is a demonstration of the commitment of the foundation for proper healthcare to the participants,’’ he said.
Kadiri, who doubles as the Lagos State Coordinator for the Association of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, said any person diagnosed with HIV should not panic, as the era when it was perceived as a death sentence was gone.
“They will undergo further tests called the based line test to check for the volume of red blood and white blood cells, the `CD4 count test’.
“Further diagnosis will be done to ascertain their liver functionality so as to know the volume of the anti-virus in their body, as well as the type of drug regime to administer,’’ she said.
Kadiri said that psychosocial support counseling is usually conducted before disclosing the status of the patient for effective management.
She said that the Aggey Foundation alone cannot handle the medical needs of beneficiaries of the outreach, adding that the foundation was collaborating with the state government on the project.
She advised those on referral to ensure they adhered to medical instructions, while HIV-positive persons should go for enrollment and drugs as advised by medical experts.
“You must continue to go for your drugs until you attain an undetectable viral suppression level; thereafter, visits to the health facility could be once every three months or six months,’’ she said.
She said that once somebody attains the undetectable viral level, he or she can no longer transmit the virus to another person, saying, “At that point, you can even have unprotected sexual intercourse,’’ she said.
NAN reports that the foundation conducted the following medical examinations: tuberculosis, blood pressure, sugar level, eye screening, and provision of reading glasses.(NAN)
