Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited Foundation has organised surgeries for 1,000 cataract patients in Abịa State at a medical outreach.
The outreach was conducted at the State Specialist Hospital and Madonna Catholic Hospital, Umuahia, the state capital, and Aba General Hospital, Aba simultaneously from April 2 to 10.
About 2, 120 cataract patients from which the 1,000 were picked based on their medical conditions turned up for screening exercise for the outreach tagged; “Blindness can be avoided.”
At the official flag-off of the outreach at the Specialist Hospital, the managing director of the foundation, Emmaneulla Arukwe, emphasised the importance of the outreach.
Arukwe explained that it was in line with this that the NNPCL Foundation engaged the best experienced and committed personnel and facilities with the latest equipment for such outreach.
“We’re excited to be of help to people that had lost their sight due to this preventable disease hence every effort should be made to save the eyes before they suffer further damage,” she added.
Representing Governor Alex Otti at thé event, the commissioner for health, Ogbonnaya Uche, said the government was delighted to be associated with the NNPCL in the outreach.
Uche warned people with visual impairment or any other health challenge against patronising quacks, pointing out that many had realised the results when their cases had gone close to irredeemable stage.
“Restoration of sight to the patients is of immense benefits because for every cataract extracted it gives five times returns on the economic value of the person whose eyesight is restored,” he said.
The administrator of the State Eye Health Management Bureau, Betty Emeka-Obasi, said the state’s Eye Care Centre, retrofitted by the present administration was well suited for the outreach.
She added that the bureau conducted a statewide sensitisation tour of every community in the 17 local government areas of the state on the outreach, hence the high turnout of patients.
Some of the beneficiaries, Daniel Ikpa, Chukwudi Ariwa, and Njoku Anaba expressed gratitude to both the NNPCL and the government.
