Ogun partners Cordix Pharma on diabetes, hypertension, targets 3.7m population

As part of its efforts to ensure wellness and healthy living in Ogun state, the state government, through the Ministry health has partnered Cordix Pharmaceutical Limited to lessen the effects of diabetes and hypertension in the state through screening and drug recommendation for over 3.7 million people in Ogun state, especially the patients of such ailments.

Speaking at a 3-day clinic workshop for health workers held in Abeokuta, Olaokun Soyinka, Ogun State commissioner for Health, disclosed that the diabetes and hypertension screening would provide opportunities for diabetes and hypertensive patients and the whole population of Ogun state that are non patients to know their health status.

 Soyinka, who said that the government set aside three hospitals in the three senatorial districts, including State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, Olikoye Ransome Kuti, Asero, Abeokuta and General Hospital, Ifo to capture reasonable number of patients and non-patients, adding that the screening would also acquaint the health workers with relevant skills and knowledge of diagnosis, thereby handling cases of diabetes and hypertension effectively.

While, urging the participants to see themselves as vanguards and share the knowledge with their colleagues, Soyinka submitted that healthcare priority in the state revolved round “people in terms of capacity building, prevention, cure and proven-intervention” to address a significant number of diseases.

Speaking earlier, the Managing Director of Codix Pharma Limited, which has donated diagnosis machines and some medical equipment for the screening, diagnosis and prevention, Sam Ogunjimi vowed that the pharmaceutical company would embark on a long-term relationship with the Ogun State government in its quest to create a healthy society.

Meanwhile, Chukwuma Igwe, diabetes and hypertension expert, has described diabetes as a clinical syndrome characterised by elevated blood sugar which could be due to lack of insulin or defective insulin action, saying that the ailment could be managed either by non-drugs means, including physical body exercise, reduction of alcohol intake as well as the drug intakes that could reduce the level of glucose in the blood.

 

RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta