Lagos clinic pre-opening treats 115 patients

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.