Dr. Awoniyi impactful service through Free Surgeries and Care in Surulere

Tosin Clegg

An obstetrics and gynaecology expert, Dr. Adebayo Awoniyi has been making impacts among Surulere residents through personal and group-led medical outreaches during and after the COVID-19 lockdown, in an effort to solving the significant health challenges faced by the elderly and pregnant women in Surulere, Lagos State.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Dr. Awoniyi recognized that many in these vulnerable groups could not access healthcare, while medical personnel were overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases. In response, Dr. Awoniyi initiated a personal outreach effort to provide essential medical care to those in need.

“I became aware of the health challenges posed on the aged and pregnant women in Surulere by the pandemic,” Dr. Awoniyi said. “Many could not access healthcare, and the medical personnel who could have helped were already overwhelmed. I decided to help in my own small way by attending to the elderly and pregnant women as much as I could.”

Dr. Awoniyi began by seeing a few patients weekly, addressing urgent issues such as elevated blood pressure, fever, diabetes, and malaria. He met with pregnant women during the lockdown, prescribing medications and often sourcing these medications from personal funds, donations from local pharmacies, and concerned colleagues.
News of Dr. Awoniyi’s efforts reached Honorable Desmond Elliott, the lawmaker representing Surulere I Constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly. Impressed by Dr. Awoniyi’s dedication, Honorable Elliott provided support, transforming the small door-to-door outreach into a Surulere-wide initiative.

This collaboration involved the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), where Dr. Awoniyi is serving as vice president. Honorable Elliott praised Dr. Awoniyi’s sacrificial efforts, stating, “During the pandemic, Dr. Awoniyi rose to the occasion, leading a team of medical doctors from LUTH to attend to pregnant women in need of caesarean sections and other urgent cases using makeshift mobile hospitals. His efforts went a long way to save lives.”
The lawmaker partnered with ARD, LUTH through Dr. Awoniyi’s mobilization to conduct free surgeries and provide medical care in Surulere, sponsoring medications, medical and surgical materials in addition to logistics, while ARD provided the human resources needed. The partnership resulted in a two-day medical outreach, “Free Medical and Surgery Outreach for Surulere Constituency I,” where over 100 patients received free surgeries, and hundreds were screened for various health conditions.

In recognition of Dr. Awoniyi’s contribution to the health and wellbeing of Surulere residents, the Speaker of the House of Representatives (representing Surulere Federal Constituency), Honorable Femi Gbajabiamila presented Dr Awoniyi with an award for Selfless Service while the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Honorable Mudashiru Obasa presented him with an Award for Excellence Service.

Dr. Awoniyi’s impact during the COVID-19 lockdown not only saved lives but also highlighted the importance of accessible healthcare, setting a precedent for future medical outreach efforts in Lagos State.