200 Cataract Patients Get Free Surgery In Gombe

At least 200 residents of Gombe State have received free eye cataract surgery during a four-day medical outreach conducted by the Muslim World League in collaboration with the Gombe State Government, MS Foundation and EduShine Foundation across seven centres in Gombe.

The exercise, conducted over the weekend at the Gombe Specialist Hospital and supported by six additional treatment centres across the metropolis, provided screening, diagnosis, and treatment of various eye conditions, as well as free medications to over 4,000 beneficiaries.

According to officials, each of the seven centres attended to about 500 patients, while the Specialist Hospital alone treated over 1,000 people, including more than 200 cataract cases who successfully underwent surgery.

Speaking at one of the centres at Gombe State Specialist Hospital, on Saturday, the state Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Hon. Muhammad Gambo Magaji, said the Muslim World League championed the initiative, while MS Foundation and EduShine stepped in to ensure more residents could access the treatment.

“The free eye treatment programme is the initiative of the Muslim World League. MS Foundation and EduShine Foundation also intervened to assist our people by transporting them to the centre.” The commissioner commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya for providing the facilities that enabled the outreach.

One of the doctors representing the Muslim World League, Dr Ismail Idrees, explained that the intervention goes beyond cataracts, covering a wide range of eye diseases and offering free medications donated with the support of the Gombe State Government and the two foundations.

“We do this (free treatment) from time to time. We don’t only look at cataracts, but any eye problem. We have seven centres treating 500 patients each, and here at the Specialist Hospital, we have treated about 1,000 patients. Over 200 patients with cataracts have undergone surgery. The Ministry of Finance also donated additional drugs, and the state government provided more doctors.”

Dr Idrees noted that this is the second time the organisation has conducted such a mission in Gombe, following a similar outreach in 2022, and expressed readiness to return. He appreciated the state government, the MS Foundation, and the EduShine Foundation for their partnership and humanitarian support.

Some beneficiaries, Muhammad Isa and Talatu Adamu, both patients, expressed gratitude to the League, the partnering foundations, and the Gombe State Government.

“I had just one eye yesterday. But I can now see everything with my two eyes,” said Talatu.