FG urged to provide clinics in markets, boost healthcare investment
Date:
13 August 2026 5:30pm WAT
The Federal Government (FG) and relevant health authorities have been urged to increase investment in healthcare and provide basic clinics within or close to markets to enable traders access timely medical attention and preventive healthcare
The call was made by Joyful Rose Health Initiative, a health and wellness Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) during a medical outreach at Karu Market, Abuja, organised under the theme, “Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Healthy Traders, Wealthy Market.”
It’s Chairperson, a Deputy Director of Nursing at the Federal Medical Centre,Abuja, Mrs. Joy Chioma Nwankwo, said the absence of accessible healthcare facilities has expose traders in underserved communities to preventable health conditions
She said the initiative was established to bridge healthcare gaps, particularly among communities where people often prioritise their businesses over their health
Nwankwo noted that the outreach targeted about 200 traders, adding that the initiative would evaluate the exercise and consider similar interventions in other underserved communities
“What I am proposing for Nigerian government is that they should do more. They are trying, but there are some localities that have not been touched. Even in this market, there is need for them to have a clinic,” she said
According to her, traders spend long hours in their shops and usually don’t have the time or rerious
Nwankwo said her observations of traders at Karu Market also raised concerns about sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits and obesity
“Most of our marketers stay in the shop from morning till night. They sit down in one place, eating so many things that may not really go down well with them as far as health concerns are concerned,” she said
She urged traders to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines, warning that prolonged sitting could affect blood circulation and increase health risks
Medical doctor of internal medicine, Dr SomtoChukwu Benson, identified hypertension and diabetes, alongside obesity and undiagnosed eye problems, among concerns observed during the outreach
He said the disregard for routine medical check-ups was a major challenge, as some traders could be living with chronic conditions without knowing
“The common health challenge is actually the disregard for medical check-ups. There are a lot of people that have chronic conditions, but they don’t know because they don’t check up,” he said
Benson explained that obesity, hypertension and diabetes were closely linked, urging traders to exercise regularly, watch what they eat and undergo routine medical screening
The outreach provided free blood pressure, blood sugar, malaria and eye checks, as well as body mass index (BMI) assessments, with doctors available to refer cases requiring further treatment
A trader, Blessing Ernest, who benefited from the screening, said the exercise reminded traders of the need to monitor their health despite their busy schedules
“I learned that sometimes you should go to hospital, check yourself and know your health issue. Some of us are business women; business, business, business, and we don’t remember to go to hospital,” she said
Another beneficiary, Mr. Ugwu, a trader selling vegetables expressed gratitude for the medical checkup saying most times they prioritise their business that they usually neglect going for any medical checkups
“I have been checked and I’m okay, but I learnt today the importance of knowing my health status and the need to always prioritise my health because it is wealth,” he said
