PISTIS Foundation, a non-profit, social enterprise vehicle based in Lagos, is targeting up to 5,000 economically challenged/ underserved persons during its annual flagship Medical & Surgical outreach, also known as UBOMI.
Ubomi, which is a week-long, free, surgical and medical outreach is scheduled to hold this year from Monday 4th to Friday 8th July, at Mother and Child Centre, Ogombo Road, Ajah. Lagos.
Since its debut in 2019, the outreach has successfully conducted hundreds of free surgeries and positively impacted the lives of thousands of persons with over 7,000 health interventions.
“Many years ago, we realised what faith-based non-for-profit organisations can do to ameliorate the sufferings of the under-privileged. Our response to this gap was to create a special vehicle to cater to the needs of these people, outside the religious sphere with a special focus on Health, Education, and Shelter,” said founder, Godman Akinlabi, who is also the Global Lead Pastor of The Elevation Church.
According to the General Manager, Leonard F. Thomas, Pistis Foundation’s salient objective in the health focus area is to provide access to quality healthcare for beneficiaries in select target communities.
“Ubomi is targeted at the under-served and under-privileged; those who may not have access to health care or cannot afford it. This year, over 150 registered volunteers including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals would be serving patients.”
During the event, between 4000 to 5000 patients are expected to be attended to, from the target community and neighbouring states. Beneficiaries comprise of economically challenged persons with primary health challenges including diabetes, asthma and other chronic non-communicable diseases and secondary health challenges, including patients requiring gynaecological services, general medicine, obstetrics, and general surgery.
“As a medical practitioner we offer our services to people who can pay,” said Dr. Femi Owagbemi, a volunteer and representative of Pro-Health International, (technical partners for Ubomi), a non-profit voluntary healthcare organization focused on uplifting the health status of the less privilege and neglected rural populace in Africa.
“Ubomi offers us an opportunity to give back to the society by offering our services to people who cannot pay,” Dr. Owagbemi added.
To ensure the success of the project, Pistis Foundation has partnered with several organisations including Zenera Consulting, the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Drugfield Pharmaceuticals, Chi Pharmacy, Fidson Healthcare, Le Moriah Residences, Mother and Child Center, Myke Oseh Foundation amongst others.
