The Eti-Osa I want to help build is a community where residents have greater opportunities to live well. I want children to learn and thrive. I want young people to acquire useful skills and pursue meaningful livelihoods. I want traders, artisans and working families to have a stronger foundation for the future they are trying to build. Health belongs at the centre of that vision.
Health is one of the clearest tests of whether public service has meaning in the everyday life of the citizen. He may not immediately understand a motion on the floor of the House. He may not follow every debate on policy, budgetary allocation or public finance, but understands the difference between being able to take a sick child to hospital and having to postpone treatment.
He understands the fear that comes with an unexpected diagnosis and the quiet pain of watching a manageable medical condition worsen because timely medical attention is beyond reach. I believe access to healthcare should be available to everyone at an affordable cost, irrespective of class.
I understand the anxiety of having to choose between a visit to the hospital and other pressing needs for the vulnerable, which is why I have, over the years, championed different programmes and initiatives to improve health conditions and outcomes for everyone, especially the vulnerable members of our society.
For our people in Eti-Osa Constituency 02, those programmes include free annual medical check-ups, breast and cervical cancer screening with vaccinations, dental care and surgery, as well as eye examinations with cataract surgery and eyeglasses provided where needed. These programmes have run consistently every year over the past decade. On the floor of the Lagos State House of Assembly, I have proposed different initiatives to widen access to healthcare for Lagosians. I campaigned for a health