Ndugulile drums for routine health check-ups

DAR ES SALAAM: THE newly elected World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Faustine Ndugulile, has urged citizens to establish a routine health check-up to stay informed about their health status.

Dr Ndugulile made these remarks while launching a three-day eye treatment camp at Vijibweni Hospital in the Kigamboni District. The camp was organised by the LALJI Foundation in collaboration with the Lions Club of Dar es Salaam Host, providing treatments at no cost.

“It is essential to know your health status. Having key information about your health, including your weight, height, blood pressure and blood sugar levels, is crucial. Understanding your health condition can help you maintain it,” said Dr Ndugulile.

“Some individuals have experienced eyesight issues due to high blood pressure or elevated blood sugar levels. Reaching this stage often means you were unaware of your health condition early enough. If you had known, you could have managed your blood pressure or sugar levels to prevent the problem. Therefore, building the habit of regular health check-ups is vital.”

Dr Ndugulile encouraged residents of Kigamboni and surrounding areas to take advantage of the medical camp to improve their health and enhance their participation in daily activities.

“Eyes are a vital part of our health, enabling us to see and perform various activities. I hope more people will attend this camp. Everyone who attended this camp should invite others to benefit from this service. Let us encourage our friends and neighbours to come and get checked, so we can build a healthy community that fully engages in daily activities,” he stated.

Dr Ndugulile also urged the coordinators to continue organising such medical camps, emphasising their importance to the community.

“Medical camps like this are crucial for our community. I urge that we continue conducting these camps and invite specialist doctors to address other health issues, ensuring the community continues to benefit. We should make these camps sustainable and provide quality services to the public,” he said.

On his part, Chairman of the LALJI Foundation, Mr Imtiaz Lalji expressed hopes of serving about 3,000 patients and encouraged Kigamboni residents to take advantage of this opportunity.

“We expect that by the end of this camp, we will have served at least 3,000 patients. We are grateful for the strong turnout from the residents of Kigamboni; it has been impressive,” he noted.

Mr. Lalji added that such medical camps will be an ongoing initiative, held in various areas to ensure continued community benefit.

Mrisho Bindo, a Kigamboni resident and beneficiary of the medical camp, thanked the organisers, highlighting the camp’s role in facilitating health checks and calling for similar initiatives from other organisations.

“We thank all the institutions that made this medical camp possible. We received excellent services and are grateful to the doctors for their efficient treatment. We believe our health will improve. I urge other organisations to continue organising such medical camps, as they greatly benefit our community,” said Mr Bindo.