AN Ophthalmologist, Dr Francis Ossai, has advised Nigerians to always go for eye screening so as to prevent avoidable blindness.
Ossai, a former eye consultant with Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) Hospital, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Enugu.
He said that checking one’s eye always would help correct any defect the eye could present, thereby preventing avoidable blindness.
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He noted that patients with glaucoma would also be able to avoid blindness if they start early in life by going for eye checks and applying their eye medications as prescribed.
Ossai said it was very important to visit ophthalmologists for eye checks, treatment as well as surgery of the eye.
He said that opticians were not eye doctors but use prescriptions written by ophthalmologists to fit and sell eyeglasses to eye patients.
“Ophthalmologists offer medical eye care which includes eye examinations, surgical eye care services, diagnosis and treatment of eye conditions.
“Opticians are not eye doctors and cannot examine the eye; they only check lens prescriptions, provide, adjust, and repair glasses and frames,” he said.
He, therefore, charged Nigerians to evaluate their eyes regularly to prevent blindness that could be avoided.
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