6000 Nigerians To Benefits Free Medical Eye Treatment Surgeries, As Osinbajo Birthday Benevolence

By Daniel Agada, Jos

About six thousand (6000) patients were to under go free medical eye treatment and Surgery cases across the country with seven hundred and fifty (750) in North Central as part of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo the Vice President Federal Republic of Nigeria birthday gift.

The outreach which started in Jos on Thursday is part of the activities put together by Friends of Prof. Osinbajo to mark his birthday that was celebrated on March 8th.

Dr. Ebi Awosika, a friend of Osibajo, said that they have been holding the outreach across the six geopolitical zones of the federation in support, and recognition of the Vice President’s birthday.

Awosika said that the Friends of Osinbajo were organising the free outreached in collaboration with the National Eye Centre Kaduna and state ministries of heath.

She said that they were collaborating with Plateau State Ministry of Health in the case of Jos.

“We have put this together because the Vice President did not want parties to celebrate his birthday, rather he want activities that could support and empower communities”.

“A variety of different activities including empowerment programmes were organised, eye care is one of them.

“The eye care outreached is not starting and ending, it is going to be annual event and it is for less privilege Nigerians.

“As you are aware, the eye care is completely free and it is meant for those that cannot afford it.

“We chose eye care as part of the activities because, being blind is not just a physical disability, it also affects your economic well being,” she said.

The Vice President friend, when an individual is treated of blindness, the economic well being of the person treated, the person supporting him/her as well as the entire community benefit.

Awosika said that the March 8th Initiative target was to handle 6000 cases across the country with 750 in North Central.

She said the group had experience staff on ground to handle the cases, but in an event where the case could not be handle in the outreach, the patient would be referred to an appropriate tertiary institution for management.

Dr. Valle Lohdip, coordinator of the March 8th Initiative in North Central said that the ophthalmological intervention was for those that have medical conditions that are of eye origin.

Lohdip said that intervention was also to dispense reading glasses for those that have difficulties in seeing near on tiny things.

“What is important for us is operating on those with cataract cases.

“We are expected to handle 750 character cases and dispense 500 reading glasses,” he said.

He expressed happiness with the large turnout of the people, but added that not everyone may have an eye condition that needs treatment.

The coordinator stated that the experts would sort out the people, and those with eye conditions would be attended to while those without would be referred to the appropriate hospitals.

Miss Favour Sunday, an eight year old girl who was successfully operated of cataract, said that her eyes have been itching her since she was one year old.

Sunday commended the Vice President, his friends and all those who made the outreach possible to keep the good work of helping the needy as her parents could not afford the fee for the surgery.
She prayed God to grant the organisers their heart desires.

Mrs Rahila Tanimuan, another beneficiary expressed optimism that would see again after years of blindness.
Mr Nyam Dung, a patient who was on queue waiting to see a doctor, said that he heard of the announcement in his Church.

Dung who is a retiree said that he does not have to resource to go for an operation.

Our correspondent learned that the free eye care outreach would hold in three batches.

The first batch according to organisers would be on November 4th and 5th, second batch November 18 and 19, while the last batch would take place on December 2nd and 3rd.