Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has disclosed that certain bills are underway to help address the challenges in accessing eye care services and generally improve the health system in the country.
Hon. Kalu made the disclosure in commemoration of this year’s World Sight Day. The global event is observed annually on the second Thursday of October to draw attention to blindness and vision impairment.
Hon. Kalu, who is an advocate of eye health, recently organised an outreach program where thousands of Bende indigenes received free eye examinations, treatment, surgery, and glasses prescriptions.
The Deputy Speaker, in a statement by his SA Press Affairs, Udora Orizu, noted that this year’s theme, ‘Children, Love Your Eyes’, resonates with the agenda of the 10th House of Representatives, under Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, tagged ‘Healthcare for All’ to address the multifaceted issues plaguing our healthcare system.
Hon. Kalu, however, expressed worry over reports that about 24 million people are living with vision loss and 1.3 million are blind.
He said aside from laudable initiatives of the federal government, the parliament, on its part, is committed to using legislative instruments to support providing lasting solutions to the challenges, hence his sponsorship of the amendment bills of the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Registration Council Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill and the National Eye Centre Act (Amendment) Bill alongside other lawmakers.
The Deputy Speaker further explained that the two bills that have passed the first reading will allow more efficiency and expand access to eyecare delivery in Nigeria.
He, however, added that legislative efforts alone cannot solve this crisis, calling for collaborative effort and commitment by various stakeholders.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I am an advocate of eye health. For years, I have been championing eye wellness through my outreach programmes and by using legislative instruments. This year’s ‘World Sight Day’ theme, ‘Children, Love Your Eyes’, resonates with the agenda of the 10th House of Representatives, under the leadership of Speaker Tajudeen Abbas PhD, tagged ‘Healthcare for All’ to address the multifaceted issues plaguing our healthcare system.
“Aside from the laudable initiatives of the federal government, the parliament, on its part, is committed to using legislative instruments to support providing lasting solutions to the challenges.
“Hence why I, alongside other lawmakers, sponsored the amendment bills of the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Registration Council Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill and the National Eye Centre Act (Amendment) Bill. The bills, when passed into law, will allow more efficiency and expand access to eyecare in Nigeria.
“I call on stakeholders as well to pool resources together in order to win the war against the rising challenges of global blindness.
“Through the Benjamin Kalu Foundation, I kicked off the End Blindness Project, an outreach targeting thousands of Bende indigenes for eye examinations, treatment, surgery, and glasses prescription. The project is not just for Bende Federal Constituency but for the entire nation as well; the outreach will be extended to other parts of the country.”
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