Lagos Hospital Organises School Oral Health Programme For 10,000 Students

The Orile-Agege General Hospital (OAGH) in Agege, Lagos is set to capture 10,000 students in Education 1 District to ensure that no child is left out in the ‘School Oral Health Programme’.

Managing Director, OAGH, Dr. Sola Pitan, said this at the maiden edition of the programme at the Lagos Baptist Senior Secondary School and Lagos Baptist Senior College on Thursday.

Pitan disclosed that the decision of organising the programme was taken by the hospital management at its strategic management retreat in November 2021 to engage in healthcare programmes and take them to the communities.

“This Programme is solely organised for you, our future leaders. We want your future to be bright, healthy, successful and for you to have and enjoy a good oral healthcare system.

“Our intention is to ensure that we get up to 10,000 students, starting from the two schools here, we have screened 2,200 students and we will extend the programme to other schools in Education District 1.

“It’s a way of affecting the society positively. Today, I am privileged to be talking to future leaders, when you become adults and leaders, start thinking of what you can do for your community,” he said.

Pitan said the students would share the information, what they learned on oral health and how they were screened. He advised the students to take care of their teeth.

Also, the Director, Dental Services, Lagos State Dental Services and Health Service Commission, Dr. Faminu Edward, advised the students to brush their teeth twice daily.

Edward laid emphasis on how important it is to go for checkups at least twice a year and not to wait until they have issues in their mouths before going to the hospital.

He said mouth odour could be a result of oral or systemic factors.

“Unpleasant mouth odour can be as a result of a big hole in the teeth that stores particles of food,” he said.

According to him, the systematic factor transcends the oral cavity, which is beyond what the dentist can treat.

“In such cases, we refer them to the hospital for thorough medical examination and management.”

Also, the Permanent Secretary/Tutor, General Education District 1, Margaret Solarin commended Pitan and the management of OAGH for the programme.

She described the programme as the first of its kind in the Education District.

"This is the calibre of people we want in government who can make the best use of their position to affect lives and reach out to the communities.

“I am very glad to be part of this great Programme. This is the first time we are having this kind of event in this district, that is how the government should be run,” she said.

Solarin said OAGH had set a good place and urged 28 other General Hospitals across the state to follow suit to create an enabling environment for students in other Education districts to benefit.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) about 200 students of the Lagos Baptist Senior Secondary School and Lagos Baptist Senior College, were present at the programme.