The Nigerian Association of Social and Resourceful Editors (NASRE) has partnered with Ahmadiyya Hospital to provide journalists with access to free medical services as part of efforts to promote health and well-being.

The NASRE president, Omotolani Oseni, told journalists on Saturday that the partnership was formalised during a meeting in Lagos.

Mr Oseni described journalists’ welfare as a major priority for the association, noting that media professionals often devote considerable time to their professional responsibilities at the expense of their personal health.

He said journalists frequently prioritised keeping the public informed while neglecting their own health needs.

“Journalists spend so much time working and ensuring that members of the public are informed, but sometimes forget that their own health also deserves attention,” Mr Oseni said.

He recalled that NASRE had undertaken several interventions to support media professionals, including assistance to widows and widowers of deceased journalists and colleagues facing critical health challenges.

He noted that the November 25 outreach was expected to feature medical assessments, consultations and other healthcare services for journalists at Ahmadiyya Hospital, Ijaiye, Lagos.

According to him, the forthcoming outreach was part of the association’s sustained efforts to improve journalists’ welfare and encourage regular medical check-ups.

Responding, the hospital’s medical director, Samiullah Tahir, assured the NASRE delegation of the facility’s readiness to support the initiative, promising that participating journalists would receive professional medical attention.

He emphasised the hospital’s commitment to making healthcare affordable, explaining that its charges were deliberately kept low to enable more people to access medical services.

“The headquarters provides financial support to sustain the hospitals because what we charge patients is deliberately kept very low and affordable.

“Our priority is to make healthcare accessible to the people,” Mr Tahir said.

He highlighted the hospital’s medical infrastructure, including an X-ray machine, laboratory facilities, a solar power system and other essential medical equipment.

He also disclosed that the hospital’s international headquarters had supported the provision of some of the facilities to strengthen its capacity to deliver quality healthcare services.

Mr Tahir further observed that healthcare professionals, like journalists, sometimes neglected their personal health because of demanding work schedules, stressing the importance of taking personal responsibility for one’s well-being.

He welcomed the collaboration, expressing optimism that the outreach would provide participating journalists with an opportunity to access medical services and become more conscious of their health. 

(NAN)