THE COLLECTIVES 2026 FREE HEALTH WEEK OUTREACH ROUNDS OFF IN SAGAMU

By: Saidat Adewale

The Collectives 2026 Free Health Week Outreach came to a close on Friday with its fourth and final day of activities at The Collectives Club House, 15 Paddy Arikawe Avenue, GRA, Sagamu, as beneficiaries turned out in large numbers to access free medical screening and treatment services on the concluding day of the week-long programme.

As with the previous three days, beneficiaries continued to enjoy the regular free medical services that have run throughout the week, including registration, blood pressure checks, blood tests, and consultation with the doctors on duty, who attended to individual complaints and issued prescriptions where necessary. Organisers noted that the process, largely unchanged from previous days, remained efficient throughout the week, allowing a steady flow of beneficiaries to be attended to without significant delays.

Alongside these regular services, the eye care station, which was introduced on Day Three, also remained in operation on the final day, with the optician continuing to attend to beneficiaries’ vision needs. Beneficiaries who required corrective lenses were issued free eyeglasses, while others were given eye drops as part of their treatment. As observed on previous days, a large proportion of those who came for eye testing were elderly residents, several of whom were found to have cataracts, a condition the optician had earlier noted is common among older patients. The dental care station, which also featured on Day Three, was not part of Friday’s programme, with the eye care station being the only specialist service retained for the outreach’s closing day.

A notable addition to the closing day was an interactive session with the Head of the Insurance Department present at the outreach, aimed at deepening beneficiaries’ understanding of health insurance and how it can be used to access medical care. In an interview, he said many members of the public still had limited awareness of health insurance and how it works, adding that the session was designed to close that gap and encourage more residents to take up coverage.

Speaking on the benefits of health insurance, he explained that enrolling in a health insurance scheme allows individuals and families to access medical care without having to pay the full cost of treatment out of pocket at the point of need, thereby reducing the financial burden of sudden illness or emergencies. He added that health insurance also gives subscribers access to a wider network of hospitals and specialists, encourages regular check-ups and early detection of health conditions, and provides a form of long-term financial protection against the rising cost of healthcare, particularly for low-income households who might otherwise delay or forgo treatment.

He disclosed that, as part of the outreach, 100 beneficiaries would be given the opportunity to enrol in the health insurance scheme at a subsidised rate of ₦12,000, covering a full year of insurance at an equivalent of ₦1,000 per month. According to him, subscribers under this scheme would be entitled to free medications and minor surgeries whenever they visited any of the accredited hospitals within the network. He further noted that the Ogun State Commissioner for Health had also lent support to the initiative, helping to make the offer more accessible and affordable for beneficiaries at the outreach.

On how members of the public could access medical care through insurance, he advised residents to enrol with a registered health insurance provider or the relevant state health insurance scheme, obtain their insurance identification, and register with an accredited healthcare provider close to them. Once registered, he explained, subscribers would be able to walk into any affiliated hospital or clinic within the scheme’s network to receive treatment under their plan, without needing to make upfront payments for covered services. He urged beneficiaries at the outreach to take advantage of the opportunity to ask questions and sign up, describing health insurance as one of the surest ways for families to stay protected against unexpected medical expenses.

Officials of The Collectives commended beneficiaries for their turnout throughout the week, noting that the four days of screening, testing, treatment, eye care, dental care and health insurance sensitisation reflected the Club’s continued commitment to improving healthcare access in Sagamu and its surrounding communities. They further expressed appreciation to OOUTH, the medical team, volunteers and all partners whose support made the outreach possible from start to finish.

With the conclusion of Friday’s activities, the 2026 Free Health Week Outreach officially came to an end, having run from Tuesday, August 11 to Friday, August 14, 2026, at The Collectives Club House, 15 Paddy Arikawe Avenue, GRA, Sagamu.

*COLLECTIVES — For the Good of All*