Lauretta Fagbohun
Abeokuta
The Jacaranda Cancer Centre has provided free breast cancer screening for more than 500 women in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as part of efforts to promote early detection and improve access to preventive healthcare.
The exercise, held on Monday at Lafenwa Market, was the fifth edition of the centre’s breast cancer awareness campaign, organised to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
Speaking at the outreach, the Chief Medical Director of Jacaranda Cancer Centre, Dr Kehinde Ololade, represented by the Centre’s Manager, Mrs Titilayo Olonade, said the initiative was designed to raise awareness about women’s health and make cancer screening more accessible to the public.
Ololade explained that the programme formed part of the centre’s corporate social responsibility initiatives aimed at promoting preventive healthcare, particularly among women who face financial and other barriers to accessing medical services.
She encouraged the women to take advantage of available screening opportunities and seek prompt medical attention whenever they noticed unusual changes in their bodies.
Also speaking, the President of the Nigerian Medical Women’s Association, Ogun State Chapter, Dr Deborah Osisanwo, emphasised the importance of regular medical check-ups and early diagnosis in the effective management of cancer.
Osisanwo urged women and people across different sectors of society to overcome the fear, stigma and misconceptions surrounding cancer screening, noting that early detection could significantly improve treatment outcomes.
Similarly, a Consultant Family Medicine Physician at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Dr Alara Kolawole Sanya, commended the centre for taking essential healthcare services directly to grassroots communities.
Sanya explained that cancer could affect different parts of the body and stressed the need for increased awareness, particularly during October, which is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
She described the outreach as a commendable intervention, noting that financial constraints and inadequate awareness often prevented vulnerable women from seeking timely medical attention.
According to her, taking the screening exercise to Lafenwa Market made it easier for traders and other market workers to access healthcare without abandoning their daily activities for long periods.
Sanya further observed that some women remained unaware of their health conditions until they had access to medical examinations, adding that free screening programmes could encourage more people to seek professional care.
She noted that hospital based screening could cost about N30,000, making the free service particularly beneficial to women who might otherwise struggle to afford it.
The Iyaloja of Lafenwa Market, Alhaja Rahmat Olatunji, also urged women to prioritise their health by participating in medical screening exercises and following professional medical advice.
Olatunji cautioned the traders against allowing their businesses and daily responsibilities to prevent them from attending to their health needs, stressing that regular medical check-ups should be an essential part of their lives.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Abosede Awe, expressed appreciation to the Jacaranda Cancer Centre for the initiative, saying the free screening had saved her the expense of paying about N30,000 for the test.
Awe called on other private healthcare facilities to emulate the centre by initiating similar programmes to support communities and improve access to essential healthcare services.
