In a collaborative effort between the Alexander Brown Hall Health and Sanitation Ministry, the University of Ibadan Association of Dental Students (UADS) and the Federation of African Medical Students Association (FAMSA), Alexander Brown Hall had an in-reach on Saturday, 30th July 2022. With more than 100 participants, the in-reach was held at the Quadrangle and Chess area of the Hall. The event which was scheduled to commence at 10:00 am eventually started at 10:30am.
The tests available for Brownites included height and weight checks, visual acuity, blood pressure, blood glucose, HIV and Hepatitis B tests, and dental examination and counselling. Committee members of the Health and Sanitation Ministry and University of Ibadan Association of Dental Students served as volunteers for the in-reach. Participants often started the process by checking their height, weight and BMI before going for the blood pressure and random plasma glucose test, and finally, the optional HIV and Hepatitis B testing. One of the highlights of the in-reach was that Brownites had the opportunity of getting free scaling and polishing after their dental examinations.
ABH press spoke with the Hall’s Health Minister, Mr Adeyeye Femi. He stated that the in-reach started late because Brownites turned out late. He cited the ABH league that held just before the in-reach as a contributing factor. He added that the aim of the in-reach was for Brownites to get a standard check-up and to cultivate the habit of having regular check-ups, especially HIV testing.
On speaking with the representative of UADS, Miss Aliu Zaynab, she stated that UADS provided dental consultation, counselling, and scaling and polishing for the in-reach. On what the outreach aimed to achieve, Miss Aliu said that as medical personnel, there had always been outreaches that originated from ABH to educate the community and provide health awareness and good wellbeing. And it was high time the carer was cared for too.
The FAMSA representative, Mr Ogulana, stated that the organisation provided the Snellen Chart for visual acuity and condoms, and was also in charge of the HIV and Hepatitis B tests and counselling. He noted that the goal of the in-reach was to give back to the people who had always been giving. Echoing Miss Aliu’s thoughts, he added that most outreaches usually target people outside of the ABH community, but that the health of Brownites was equally important.
Miss Odunsi Temidayo, a volunteer at the in-reach, stated it was a thoughtful initiative. She added that she was happy that many people came around to get tested. According to her, this showed that the publicity was great and that many people were interested in making the right decision about their health. On what could be improved on, she said that the in-reach could be done in a more spacious and private environment. She also advised that more funding should be provided as some equipment were unavailable, and some improvisation had to be done. Miss Odetoki Roheemah, another volunteer at the in-reach, stated that the in-reach was impactful as many Brownites and even outsiders got tested and counselled. A good number of students also benefitted from the Scaling and Polishing. However, she noted that the blood pressure and HIV/Hepatitis testing stations were crowded. This was because there were just two stations for blood pressure and one for the HIV/Hepatitis test. Consequently, she suggested that better functioning sphygmomanometers should be provided next time, and more volunteers be recruited to man the testing stations, ensuring that the process is faster and less stressful for everyone.
A participant at the in-reach, Mr Mustapha Yusuff, commended the organisers’ efforts and mentioned that the turnout of Brownites was good especially since many Brownites had gone home. He, however, added that the Hall could have partnered with Ophthalmologists to provide glasses for those who needed them. Another participant, Miss Digwu Shalom, praised the organisers, stating that it was an opportunity to undergo many tests.
Finally, ABH Press inquired from the organisers of the in-reach about the possibility of holding another in-reach in this tenure. According to them, the chances are very slim. Mr Adeyeye stated that the idea of the in-reach was to encourage Brownites to get standard check-ups more often. Miss Aliu added that a lot of planning and resources go into organising an in-reach. We hope that this in-reach indeed encourages Brownites to go for check-ups more often.
