Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC Foundation, in partnership with the Abia State Government, has commenced free eye surgery for 1000 cataract patients in the state.
While NNPC Foundation bankrolled the medical outreach, the Abia State Government provided the facilities and mobilised patients from different communities in the state.
Flagging off the outreach at the Abia State Specialist Hospital Umuahia, Gov. Alex Otti, advised people with eye challenges and other ailments to stop patronising quacks.
The Governor decried the activities of quacks who he lamented, had caused irreversible damages to people’s eyes and other organs.
Regretting that about 50 million blindness globally are caused by cataract, Otti said “15 minutes surgery could help save the situation.”
Gov. Otti who was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Uche, explained that part of the reasons his administration embarked on transformation of the health sector was to make quality health services available and affordable to all.
He commended NNPC Foundation for choosing Abia for the outreach which he noted, would complement the efforts of the State Government in providing quality health services for the people.
Otti re-stated the commitment of his administration to revamp the health sector and make Abia a referral centre for medical tourism.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director, NNPC Foundation, Mrs Emmanuela Arukwe, said the exercise was part of the corporate social responsibilities of the organization aimed at fostering development across Nigeria.
She regretted that though preventable, “cataract is responsible for 43 per cent of blindness in Nigeria.”
Mrs Arukwe further explained that the intervention was borne out of the compelling need to prevent more people, some of who are the breadwinners of their families, from going blind.
“It’s important to prevent blindness among Nigerians because it impedes development; and without a good sight people cannot achieve much,” she said.
Arukwe expressed delight that the beneficiaries would upon recovery, begin to contribute their quotas to the development of society.
“We run other projects under the NNPC foundation but this is one of the special projects we run under our health initiative as part our resolve to improve well being of Nigeria and foster development,” she added.
Arukwe who hinted that NNPC Foundation plans to make the outreach an annual exercise depending on the availability of resources, commended the Abia State Government for supporting the project.
In a remark, the Administrator, Abia State Eye Health Management Bureau, Dr Betty Emeka-Obasi, thanked NNPC Foundation for the outreach while hailing Gov. Otti for the massive infrastructural transformation in the Abia health sector.
Dr Emeka-Obasi who recalled how her team went to the grassroots to mobilise cataract patients for screening said over 2000 patients turned up for screening.
She thanked stakeholders in the state health sector particularly “the surgeons, doctors and nurses who are contributing to the success of the project.”
Dr Emeka-Obasi who said the bureau was determined to tackle various eye challenges, urged residents to always approach government facilities for quality eye care.
She noted that the State Eye Care centres have state-of-the-art facilities, and urged residents to take advantage of it.
Meanwhile, some of the beneficiaries of the free eye sugery including Mrs Ngozika Emeka from Ihie Ndume Umuahia; Ikpa Okorie from Umuhu Ezechi in Bende; and Chukwudi Ariwa from Ohuhu expressed their gratitude NNPC Foundation and the Abia State Government for the intervention.
Three children born with congenital blindness will benefit from the free eye surgery.
