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| Dr. Funmilayo Shokunbi, Director, Medical Administration, Training and Programmes, Ministry of Health (second right), presenting glasses to Mr. Patrick Owunka, a beneficiary (second left) flanked by Dr. Opeyemi Aihonsu, Medical Director, Badagry General Hospital (Left) and Mr. Olusegun Oyenuga, Director Administration and Human Resource of Badagry General Hospital, (Right) at the Free Eye Surgery Outreach organised by the Lagos State Government at Badagry GH |
•Conducts Free Eye Surgery For 200
Chioma Umeha
It was a four-day of momentous event for those who
had one eye defect or another in the ancient city of Badagry, Lagos. Many of
them had been living in pains for years without hope of any help. Some had
cataract and others struggled with partial blindness. However, help came to
them recently when Lagos State Government sponsored a free eye surgery outreach
programme.
Many of the excited beneficiaries wished the
programme would be a weekly affair.
One of them, Mr. Sanni Sonayon Rilwan while
thanking the State government for coming to their aid and offering them succour
stated that the gesture is a reminder that people in hard-to reach-areas are
not left out in development programmes.
He added that it was an endless wait for him to
source for money for an eye surgery as the cost was too high for him to afford.
He however stressed that the free surgery
programme has put an end to his long wait and restored his vision.
No fewer than 200 people benefitted from the free
eye surgery outreach programme which was one of the latest phases organised by
the Lagos State Government.
The State authorities said that programme is aimed
at improving the quality of life of the beneficiaries by restoring their vision
through surgical intervention.
Dr. Jide Idris, the State Commissioner for Health,
stated that the programme is significant and defining for those who suffer from
eye ailments requiring surgery like cataract and pterygium.
Idris spoke while on a recent visit to the General
Hospital, Badagry, which was the venue of the surgical intervention to assess
its progress.
The Ministry of health boss who was represented by
Dr. Funmilayo Shokunbi, the Director, Medical Administration, Training and
Programmes in the Ministry of Health, added that free eyes screening and
surgery outreach programme is one of the ministry’s prevention programmes to
reduce avoidable blindness in Lagos.
He said; “75 per cent of blindness all over the
world can actually be prevented or treated, and the main causes of avoidable
blindness and serious visual loss are uncorrected refractive errors,
un-operated cataract amongst others”.
“This is why the Lagos State government through
the Ministry of Health is intensifying its blindness prevention activities
which include, community outreaches, school eye screening programme, free
surgical interventions and provision of free eye glasses and medication
in-order to reduce avoidable blindness in the State”.
The Commissioner explained that the Ministry of
Health in its quest to reduce avoidable blindness have visited six local
government areas since the beginning of the year on blindness prevention
screening and awareness outreaches, adding that public schools have also been
visited while free corrective eye glasses have been given to pupils who require
them to aid their vision.
Idris while urging latest set of beneficiaries to
take good care of their eyes stressed that post-operative care is as important
as the surgery they have undergone.
He thereafter encouraged them to visit the health
facility they have been referred to for follow up care.
“Do not engage in strenuous activities; avoid bending
down, robbing your eyes and using un-prescribed medications. Adopting good
personal hygiene and environmental sanitation is key in the process to full
recovery,” he noted.
Idris while explaining that though the services
provided to patients through the eye surgery outreach programme are free
however noted that they are not free to government.
The Commissioner stressed that the eye surgery
outreach programmes are funded by tax payers’ money to bring succour to
patients that cannot afford the cost of treatment.
Responding, Dr. Opeyemi Aihonsu, the Medical
Director, Badagry General Hospital, noted that his hospital has an eye clinic
that has been standardised and equipped such that all services required for
investigations, medical and surgical treatment of common blinding conditions
can be accessed.
He gave kudos to the Lagos State Governor for
supporting the drive to ensure reduction of avoidable blindness in the State.
Dr. Aihonsu further noted that the eye unit in
Badagry Hospital has competent personnel who can take care of the
post-operative management of patients that have been operated on.
“We have consultant ophthalmologist, optometrists,
ophthalmic nurses and other eye care staff and we make bold to say we are ready
to take care of the post-operative management of patient referred to us for
follow up,” he said.
