From Joseph Olusola, Ogbomoso
Ten thousand diabetic patients in Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states in the Southwestern part of Nigeria will receive free screening, treatment and supply of necessary drugs to be sponsored by the Lions Club International, District 404B1.
Oyewole Oyewumi, the District-Governor of the club made this known in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital shortly after his swearing in ceremony, adding that a sum of N50 million had been budgeted for all intervention projects, including youth empowerment, feeding of the needy, treatment of the visually-impaired and cleaning of environment within its areas of jurisdiction.
He said counselling, screening and treatment of diabetic patients were the medical interventions, among other things, that the global body approved for each district of the club to execute between June, this year and July next year.
He also revealed that that the club had reached an agreement with the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, on the training of 100 youths on juice production, catering and bakery as part of efforts to empower them.
According to him, “the Lions Club would be more visible and render impactful services this Lions’ Year. On a yearly basis, we will touch over 400,000 lives in different interventions in Nigeria. It could be more than that but it depends on the time and prevalent economic factors in our domain. Globally, it is 68 million.
“Right now, we have been challenged. We must reach out to 200 million people globally. That is why Lions Club International has come up with various programmes. Our programmes will be impactful.”
He therefore added that the Lions Club was committed to reducing the spate of the disease by sensitising Nigerians to adopt preventive lifestyles as well as helping sufferers to manage the condition effectively.
