More than 200 residents of Ibadan, Oyo State, have benefited from a monthly free health mission organised by Deway Natural Healthcare Services in collaboration with IRI FM as part of efforts to make basic healthcare services more accessible to residents particularly, the vulnerables.
The health outreach, which attracted residents from different parts of the city, provided participants of all age brackets with health assessments, medical consultations and access to various forms of treatment and health-related interventions at heavily discounted rates.
The initiative, according to the organisers, was conceived against the backdrop of rising healthcare costs and the difficulties faced by many vulnerable Nigerians in accessing medical services when health challenges arise.
Speaking on the programme, the Managing Director of Deway Natural Healthcare Services, Toyin Grace, said the initiative was designed to sensitise residents to the importance of prioritising their health rather than waiting until illness had become severe before seeking medical attention.
Grace said many people made financial plans for food, accommodation, education and other necessities but often failed to make adequate provisions for their health.
She said the consequences of such neglect could be devastating, noting that some people only realise the importance of good health after developing serious medical conditions that require substantial financial resources to manage.
According to her, the health mission was therefore an intervention aimed at bringing healthcare awareness and services closer to ordinary people, particularly those who may be unable to afford expensive medical care.
“We realise that health is something very expensive. Somehow, people plan for every other thing except their health. People plan for food, they budget for a house, they budget for everything except their health,” she said.
Grace explained that the organisation’s monthly health missions had continued to attract significant numbers of residents, with more than 100 people reportedly attended to on average during each outreach programme across its various locations.
She disclosed that the organisation had also taken the initiative beyond Ibadan, mentioning recent health missions in Akure in Ondo state, and Abeokuta in Ogun state.
She urged Nigerians to make regular health checks and preventive healthcare a priority, stressing that knowing one’s health status could help individuals take appropriate steps to protect their wellbeing.
“You need to know the state of your health. It is when you know the state of your health that you know what you will take care of and how to take care of it,” she said.
Grace further explained that Deway Natural Healthcare Services focuses on natural products, including fruits and vegetables, as part of its approach to healthcare, while also using diagnostic equipment to assess the condition of patients.
She said the organisation’s objective was not necessarily to undermine conventional medicine but to promote what she described as a complementary approach to healthcare.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Deway Natural Healthcare Services, Dr Joshua Adedeji, said the partnership with IRI FM began after discussions initiated earlier in year 2026.
According to him, the partnership was established to primarily provide listeners of the radio station in Ibadan, Oyo State and beyond with access to health education and services.
Adedeji said the monthly programme commenced in May 2026 and had recorded encouraging participation since its inception with each month recording over 200 participants.
He explained that the organisation’s approach involved assessing patients before commencing treatment rather than merely treating symptoms.
“At Deway Clinic, we don’t just treat symptoms. What we do is that we first of all check,” he said.
Adediji claimed that the clinic has hybrid tech diagnostic machines capable of scanning various organs, cells and microorganisms, which he said were used to provide information about patients’ health conditions.
He stressed that the objective was to identify what he described as the underlying causes of health complaints before deciding on an appropriate intervention.
He said the organisation had been operating for almost a decade and had attended to thousands of people from Oyo State, other parts of Nigeria and outside the country.
The founder also disclosed that beneficiaries of the health mission were being offered a 75 per cent discount on relevant services, describing the initiative as a means of reducing the financial burden associated with quality healthcare.
He said the decision to offer substantial discounts was informed by the economic difficulties facing many Nigerians.
According to him, some patients are discouraged from seeking timely medical attention because of the amount of money required as deposits or initial treatment costs in some hospitals.
He said Deway’s flexible payment arrangements were intended to make healthcare services more accessible to people who might otherwise be unable to afford them.
Adedeji said the health mission was also intended to promote preventive healthcare by encouraging residents to understand their health status, pay attention to their diet and seek appropriate medical attention when necessary.
The outreach according to him forms part of a broader effort by Deway Natural Healthcare Services and its partners to take health awareness and services closer to members of the public, particularly those whose financial circumstances may limit their access to healthcare.
While the organisers highlighted the role of natural and preventive approaches, health experts generally advise patients with serious or persistent medical conditions to seek care from appropriately qualified healthcare professionals and not discontinue prescribed treatment without medical advice.
The programme’s committee chairman, Olajide Olarewaju, said the organisers had witnessed considerable participation and positive feedback from beneficiaries since the commencement of the health mission.
Olarewaju said the first edition attracted more than 300 people, while subsequent editions also recorded significant participation.
Speaking on the fourth edition, Olarewaju said although the number of beneficiaries initially appeared lower than that of the first edition, the attendance subsequently increased as residents continued to arrive at the venue.
He attributed the sustained participation to the growing awareness and acceptance of the programme among residents.
The organisers, however, expressed their commitment to sustaining the health mission and extending the initiative to other areas within the state outside of the state capital.
