Lagos clinic pre-opening treats 115 patients
Posted 11 Dec 2024
Project: Delivering free primary healthcare in Nigeria with microclinics
Our investment in building a free healthcare clinic in Lagos is already saving lives!
Before the clinic's official opening, a medical outreach event was held where patients could pre-register and receive treatment during registration.
At the pre-opening, the nurses treated 115 people, a higher number than expected ... there's obviously a deep need for free primary healthcare.
Here's the data that was collected on the day:
70% of patients reported a monthly income of N40,000 - N45,000 ($27 - $30 per month).
The youngest beneficiaries were two 2-year-old children who were treated for malaria and common cold, respectively, and the oldest was an 80-year-old woman who was treated for unmanaged hypertension.
Malaria is a disease that is especially deadly for children when treated late; catching and preventing it early with basic care is very important, and thankfully, we did for many, including 17 children under the age of 10.
Most patients (~39%) were diagnosed and treated for malaria. The second most common diagnosis after malaria was high blood pressure (hypertension) (~15%). This is expected as malaria, and hypertension is among the leading causes of death in the country.
Two patients were found to be at risk of fatal/near-death complications from unmanaged hypertension and were immediately treated and referred to the nearest tertiary institution. Of note, a mother from the community had extremely high blood pressure and was at significant risk of a stroke if her condition wasn't revealed during the outreach. Our practitioners gave her emergency treatment, and she will be following up with a specialist at a tertiary hospital.
The rest of the patients presented with varying illnesses, including unmanaged arthritis, diarrhoea, upper respiratory tract infections, the common cold, ulcers, skin infections, and allergies.
Four patients had no symptoms of illness and came by for a regular medical checkup, an act they noted would have been a luxury if they hadn't had this opportunity.
69% of patients self-identified as female, and 31% as male.