OHIS, Rotary Clubs, Foundation Begin Free Surgeries, Dental Treatment For Over 500 Osun Residents

Rotary Clubs in Osun State have partnered with the Osun Health Insurance Agency (OHIS) and the Rasaq Akindele Foundation to provide free eye and dental treatment to more than 500 residents, with about 150 people scheduled to benefit from surgery.

The intervention, which began on Monday, October 12, at Platinum Embassy Specialist Hospital, opposite New Ede City Stadium, Owode-Ede Road, is aimed at helping people with eye and dental conditions who may otherwise be unable to afford treatment.

The Coordinator of Rotary Health Outreach 2026, Rtn. (Dr.) Rasaq Akindele, said the initiative followed observations by Rotarians during visits to eye and dental clinics, as well as correctional facilities, where they encountered people struggling with untreated health conditions.

He explained that the experience prompted the Rotary Clubs to seek partners capable of helping them provide free and accessible medical services to affected residents.

“Service is not what we do, it is who we are. Our motto is ‘Service Above Self’, and today, we are living that motto in a very practical way,” Akindele said.

Akindele, who is the Executive Secretary, Osun Health Insurance Scheme and founder of Rasaq Akindele Foundation, disclosed that the screening exercise covered more than 300 people with eye defects and over 200 people with dental problems, assuring that beneficiaries requiring surgery would receive the procedures without payment.

According to him, the organisers would also monitor beneficiaries after treatment to ensure proper recovery, stressing that the project’s success would be measured by the long-term improvement in their health.

Akindele said the exercise attracted people from outside Osun, including 10 participants from Lagos and two from Kwara, while the rest came from the host state.

As part of the outreach’s humanitarian component, the organisers also announced plans to distribute reusable sanitary pads to female inmates in Osun correctional centres, with the intervention intended to promote menstrual hygiene and preserve the dignity of women in custody.

Representing Governor Ademola Adeleke at the flag-off, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Health, Dr. Adekunle Akindele, praised the participating Rotary Clubs, OHIS and the foundation for supporting the state’s healthcare delivery efforts.

He said the initiative aligned with the government’s commitment to ensuring that residents could access essential medical services irrespective of their financial circumstances.

According to him, the Adeleke administration had made significant efforts to improve healthcare delivery despite existing challenges.

“Adeleke does not joke with the health sector. Despite the challenges, the administration has done tremendously well in healthcare delivery, and more dividends will come to the state,” he said.

The governor’s aide cited the upgrading of more than 200 primary healthcare centres and the Imole Medical Outreach, which he said had benefited nearly 80,000 residents based on government figures, as examples of the administration’s interventions.

He also highlighted the importance of collaboration among government institutions, private foundations, humanitarian organisations and healthcare professionals in expanding access to medical services.t

The free medical outreach is being supported by six Rotary Clubs: Agbale Ede, Osogbo Central, Osogbo GRA, Oroki Osogbo, Osogbo Metropolitan and Osogbo Sunrise.

The organisers urged other organisations and individuals to support similar programmes, saying collective action was necessary to address healthcare needs and improve the well-being of residents.