Fayemi flags off free cataract surgery for 405 Ekiti residents

The Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has flagged off free cataract surgery for 405 residents, restating his commitment to quality healthcare delivery. Fayemi said his administration was partnering with the federal government and the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria under the Ekiti Free Cataract Surgery/President Buhari Restores Vision Programme to restore the sight of the […]

The Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has flagged off free cataract surgery for 405 residents, restating his commitment to quality healthcare delivery.

Fayemi said his administration was partnering with the federal government and the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria under the Ekiti Free Cataract Surgery/President Buhari Restores Vision Programme to restore the sight of the patients.

The surgery was going on simultaneously at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti; State Specialist Hospital, Ikere-Ekiti and Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, at the flag-off held at EKSUTH, Ado-Ekiti, yesterday, said the gesture was aimed at addressing the burden of increasing blindness from cataract, and to assist residents who are financially handicapped to sponsor their treatment.

He explained that an average of 250 surgeries was to be carried out per state but that of Ekiti was increased to 405 to give more cataract patients in the state the opportunity to benefit from the scheme.

The governor noted that Ado, Ikere and Ido were carefully chosen as centres cutting across the three senatorial districts to make the scheme accessible to people in the grassroots.

Fayemi disclosed that 200 of the cases were screened during the first phase of his administration’s Free Health Mission, which provided medical services to 67,000 people across the 11 local government areas visited.

Describing cataract as a leading cause of blindness, Fayemi disclosed that 4.25 million Nigerian adults aged above 40 years were visually impaired, while 5.5 per cent of adults aged 50 and above were estimated to be blind.

He explained that government was tackling cataract headlong by offering to sponsor the surgery and help the patients overcome financial constraints to restore their vision.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Folake Olomojobi, explained that the free cataract surgery programme was part of Gov Fayemi’s free health mission aimed at sustaining a healthy state.

Olomojobi revealed that each cataract surgery cost N50,000 outside post-surgery expenses, which she said had been borne by the state government.

She disclosed that the surgery was being performed by indigenous cataract surgeons, adding that the scheme was geared towards achieving a “once I was blind but now I can see” testimony.’

The president of the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria, Dr Bade Ogundipe, who was represented by Dr Kayode Ajite, said the body was orking in synergy with state governments in Nigeria to ensure acataract-free nation.