… Says welfare must precede votes
Former member of the House of Representatives and the 2027 senatorial candidate for Oyo North on the platform of Allied People’s Movement (APM), Hon.Shina Peller, on Friday flagged off a free healthcare outreach in Iseyin, Oyo State.
He also declared that politicians must prioritise the health and welfare of the people before seeking their votes.
Peller, founder of the Pellercare Foundation, made the declaration at the launch of the Pellercare 360 Community Impact Tour at Aseyin Ojude Oba Market Square, Iseyin, where residents of the town and neighbouring communities received free medical consultations, diagnostic screenings and medications.
The initiative, organised under the theme, ‘Alaafia De Ile Wa’, is designed to extend accessible healthcare services to residents across the 13 local government areas of Oyo North Senatorial District.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Peller said political engagement should go beyond election campaigns to include practical interventions that improve the lives of the people.
“Before we ask for their votes, we must ask and care about their health,” he said, describing access to healthcare as a fundamental human right that should not be determined by an individual’s financial circumstances.
He expressed satisfaction with the turnout, particularly the participation of mothers, elderly residents and children who received medical attention without paying for the services.
Peller said the initiative reflected his commitment to promoting a healthier population and improving access to essential healthcare services across Oyo North.
The full-day outreach featured four service centres: the Women’s Health Pavilion, Men’s Health Corner, Elders Honour Clinic and Child Health Festival.
Beneficiaries received medical consultations, diagnostic screenings and minor medical procedures, while prescribed medications were provided free of charge.
The Central and Coordinating Doctor for Pellercare 360, Dr Williams Edet, said the medical team deployed diagnostic equipment and personnel from different healthcare specialties to attend to residents.
He said the services included screenings for hypertension and diabetes, cardiovascular assessments for men, and maternal health consultations, fertility assessments and breast examinations for women.
He added that senior citizens received specialised geriatric consultations, while children benefited from paediatric care and deworming services.
According to him, the team also established referral arrangements for patients, who required further investigations or continued medical attention.
Meanwhile, beneficiaries have been commending the intervention for bringing healthcare services closer to residents, who might otherwise struggle to afford medical consultations and medications.
A 72-year-old beneficiary, Pa Rasheed Adewole, said the cost of hospital visits and prescribed drugs had become a financial burden.
He commended the medical team for checking his vital signs, providing the necessary medications and treating him with respect.
Similarly, a 38-year-old resident, Mrs Adijat Salim, praised the female medical personnel for their approach to her breast examination and maternal health counselling.
She said the free services had eased the financial burden on her household.
A trader, Mr. Taiwo Ogundele, 45, said the screening helped identify dangerously high blood pressure that he had not previously known about.
He said the medical team provided immediate medication and dietary advice, adding that the intervention could have helped prevent a serious health emergency.
Another beneficiary, Mrs Comfort Adewale, a 29-year-old mother of two, commended the medical personnel for the attention they gave her children during the paediatric sessions.
She said the friendly environment and the doctors’ willingness to attend to each child made the experience reassuring.
Following the flag-off in Iseyin, the Pellercare 360 Community Impact Tour is scheduled to move to Ogbomoso Town Hall in Ogbomoso North Local Government Area for another full-day medical outreach.
The organisers said the initiative forms part of Peller’s broader commitment to improving grassroots healthcare delivery across Oyo North Senatorial District.