Experts want regular check-up to reduce chronic diseases’ risk

The Managing Director of Dennis Ashley Wellness Clinic, Dr. Chima Oti, has said that regular checkup can help reduce the risk of any non-communicable disease (NCD). Oti, however, said early detection gives the patient better chances of survival.

NCDs include: diabetes, hypertension, cancer, kidney damage, stroke, obesity, and osteoarthritis, among others.

Oti, last week, during a community health outreach on hypertension, diabetes and cancer, said that the right way to approach health is to be aware that high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer only show symptoms when it is getting to the critical stage, which can be detected by early diagnosis.

The outreach was organised by Dennis Ashley Wellness Clinic in collaboration with Eti-Osa primary health care centre, Merck, Lancet Laboratories and Lakeshore cancer centre.

On Nigerians’ lackadaisical attitude to health, he said, “many would wait till they are ill or in critical state before seeing the doctor. You need not be sick to see a doctor. Prevention is better than cure.”

In his words: “Dennis Ashley Clinic is dedicated to improving the lives of Nigerians by educating them on health management and wellness. What we are doing today in Eti-Osa local government is a way of giving back to the society and creating awareness as to general healthcare treatment.

“Hypertension is high among black men and early detection might only require a change in lifestyle getting some drugs. Some people boast of many years of being healthy, but it should be noted that the more you advance in age, the more likely to have any of these diseases. These diseases are real and should not be taken for granted,” he noted.

He further allayed the panic some people have when they are diagnosed with NCD, that it is not a death sentence.

“Even if you have all the doctors and best machines in the world, if the patient doesn’t accept that he is sick, he will not go for the treatment. One has to be wary of its contributing factors such as diet, body weight and stress level. If this is checked you can reduce your chances of having these diseases,” he advised.

The Administrative Head of Dennis Ashley Wellness Centre, also a general practitioner, Dr. Obi Ibokwe, decried the increasing rate of people diagnosed with these diseases. He said one in three adult suffers hypertension, one in ten persons suffer diabetes and cancer is on a daily increase.

“This check up is not expensive as many would think. In Dennis Ashley Clinic, we do free blood pressure check very Wednesday,” he said.

Majority Leader of Eti-Osa local government, Honorable Temitayo Oluwaseun, lauded the effort of the medical practitioners and said that it is an eye opener for them to organise such outreach often.