By SundayAni
Over 500 residents of Surulere in Lagos State, over the weekend, received various free healthcare supports from the member representing Surulere State Constituency 1, at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Olushola Desmond Elliott.
Elliot, in partnership with a nongovernmental organisation, Burden Lifters Nigeria Limited, provided medical checks and drugs for such ailments as high blood pressure, malaria, diabetes and eye problems among others for residents of Surulere.
He noted that apart from the medical support, the people also received small bags of rice. “No matter how small the rice is, we are just trying to reach out to members of the Surulere constituency,” he added.
He said the event was just a part of the whole medical stretch that he has planned out for the people. “Early next year, we will carry out surgeries in some hospitals in Surulere. This is just like a pilot scheme towards the bigger one which where we will deal seriously with issues of hyenia, lumps in the breasts among others. I will be doing that in conjunction with the resident doctors association at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).. This is just to ensure that we provide health care for the people because we felt that there is no point feeding people when they are not healthy,” he said.
On Bola Ahmed Tinubu 2023 presidential bid, he said Tinubu’s scorecard would give victory at the poll. He said: “As I said, every Nigerian is eligible to run for the office. The question we need to ask is people’s scorecards. Tinubu has done so much for Lagosians and a lot of Nigerians. So, let his scorecard speak for him. When he declares, let’s weigh his scorecards and that of other people and make the right choice. Let us look at the scorecards before we judge.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Burder Liter, Mrs. Helen Akinlade, who said similar event had already been organised in Eti-Osa and Lagos Island Local Government Areas, commended Mr. Elliot for bringing the programme to Surulere, saying, “It is a grassroots programme designed to support the less privileged around. We go around; we have been to Eti-Osa, Lagos Island and now Desmond has brought us to Surulere. We try to treat the elderly with such ailments as diabetes, eye problems, high blood pressure, malaria and others. We have nurses, doctors, and pharmacists who attend to the people. We can’t really help everybody but the little we can do today, we do. Our target is 500 but we have attended more than that.”
One of the beneficiaries is the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman for Surulere Local Government Area, Ajao Sanni Shakirudeen.
He commended Mr. Elliot for the programme and urged him to increase the frequency of the outreach from twice a year to four months.
“This is good. If we have such privilege in the whole of Lagos, we will not have many sickle cell patients in our environment. Many people have been tested, got drugs for malaria, eye problems, high blood pressure drugs and all that.
“I feel good and I want Desmond Elliot to do more of it. If he has been doing it every six months, he should try to do it every three months because we have more people that need health,” he said.
He urged other public office holders in the state n to emulate Elliott, stressing that when more of such programmes are organised, it would go a long way to solving lots of health problems among the less privileged in Lagos.
“To other lawmakers, public office holders and good spirited individuals, I want them to emulate what Elliot is doing here today and I am sure Lagos will be better for it,” he added.
Another beneficiary Mrs. Olatorera Calisto also counseled other constituents not to ignore information that pertains to health as it could help many who are in need of it around them.
“This is a very good initiative. I woke up and discovered I wasn’t feeling too well and reluctantly I came to see what is happening here. I have been checked and I have been given the right medicine for what I am going through. Even after that, I just discovered that I will go home with other things. It is a massive and loud thing because we have over 500 people that have come to check their health status.
“People should embrace this kind of programme in future. I thank Desmond Elliot for promoting this kind of health outreach in Surulere LGA. It is a very good initiative and I pray that God will always strengthen him to continue with what he has started. He is really interested in our well being,” she stated.

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