Ogun residents to enjoy free eye surgery

Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye has said that the residents of the state would soon benefit from free eye surgical operation and issuance of recommended glasses to those with sight problems.

Ipaye made this known while flagging off a week programme put together by “The Collectives” a community based project that provide free eye screening and surgical operation to those with eye problem, held at Sagamu, Ogun State.

While noting that the next stage of insurance scheme in the state would be very comprehensive, he declared that the residents of the state would be involved in surgical intervention for those living with eye problem like cataract and glaucoma.

He said that over 20, 000 residents have benefited from the state’s social health insurance scheme called “Araya”, which took care of less privilege people in the state, adding that about 24 health facilities both private and public were already in the scheme the government was paying its premium monthly.

The commissioner added that people had opportunity to assess antenatal care, treatment of malaria, hypertension, diabetes, tuberculosis and some other common killer diseases.

“Our simple approach in reaching the people included ensuring regular supplies of drugs to the hospitals and primary health care centres across the three Senatorial districts; transfer of equipment and assessment of workforce to the appropriate hospitals; training and re-training of our health workers, and we do motivate them to be proactive,” Ipaye said.

He noted that basic eye care was also part of the “Araya” Scheme, where the state government put together all the essential primary health care component, including issuance of recommended glasses to those who in dare need of them.

Ipaye said that there was a bill before the state House of Assembly to have a law that would make health insurance available for all the citizens of the state.

According to him, members of the public would contribute a token and government would subsidise and people would be enlisted in the social health insurance scheme called “Araya” like it’s done in advanced countries.

Ipaye appreciated the members of “The Collectives” for their laudable initiative especially in the restoration of the people’s vision both through the provision of glasses and surgical operation, admonishing other non-governmantal organisations to take, a cue from the group.

Also, a Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr Oladapo Awodein charged the government at all levels to priortise problem of blindness in the country, and thus make eye care  accessible and affordable at the primary,  secondary and tertiary healthcare levels.

Dr Awodein stated that globally 38 million people are reportedly blind, half of them were from cataract.

According to the expert,    eight million people were also blind from glaucoma, an irreverisble cause of blindness.

The eye expert stated that  the number of Nigerians that were blind was equally  significant,puting it at about  two of every 180 Nigerian.