As the world celebrates World Sight Day 2023, Lions Club has called on the federal government to provide quality, inclusive, and affordable eye care services for all Nigerians.
Abuja Metropolitan Lions Club, Region 1, chairperson, Lion Charles Opusunju disclosed this yesterday during a free eye screening and donation of free eyeglasses, cataract treatment, and medication in Kpaduma 1 community, Abuja.
Lion Charles Opusunju, said eye preservation is part of the core mandate of the club.
Opusunju urged Nigerians to always check their eyes, saying some people get blind because of lack of routine eye checks.
He also said that during the festive period, the Club will distribute food items to Nigerians who are less privileged.
“This month is a month of sight preservation, and that is why we are doing this.
The government cannot do everything and that is why we as a Club complement their efforts. This year we are targeting about 500 beneficiaries with eye defects,” he said.
On her part, an optometrist, Lion Dr Onyebuchi Menyei said a lot of people, especially in Africa and Nigeria, don’t go for routine eye checks until they have eyes major symptoms.
“And even when they have any form of defect, they wait until it starts to hinder their daily activities before they reach out to check. And again, you don’t blame them because I guess eye care service is not so cheap in Nigeria, because we don’t have a lot of clinics in government hospitals. So, the few eye clinics we have are owned by private people who are mostly out for profit,” she said.
A beneficiary of the free medical eye care, Shekong Songzhi lauded the Lions Club for the initiatives.
