Free Cataract Eye Screening and Surgery Programme has been organized in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
The programme which was held at the Uromi General Hospital, was organized by the Timmy Global Health Foundation, Uromi General Hospital Rehabilitation Project Inc. and the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH).
Over 500 patients with various eye diseases were screened for cataracts, with a view to obtaining the 100 cataract patients that would eventually benefit from the free cataract surgeries for this year.
A Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr. (Mrs) Anita Alikah explained that the free cataract outreach was aimed at getting people with cataract eye disease to benefit from the 100 free cataract surgeries to be carried out in 2022.
Dr Alikah described cataracts as the leading cause of blindness worldwide, adding the medical outreach was geared towards alleviating cataract blindness in the environment.
“Cataract is one of the avoidable causes of blindness. A lot of people don’t realize that with cataract blindness, something can be done to help them. They may just give up and stay at home, not knowing that with say 20 to 30 minutes surgical procedure, they will be able to see again.
” So it is a very simple procedure. Something we do as a day case. We use local Anastasia. We don’t make people sleep before we do the surgery. And after the surgery, they are free to go home that same day” she explained.
One of the coordinators of the programme, Mr Patrick Odiboh said the free cataract screening and surgery was a way of giving back to society, and hinted that the exercise was aimed at helping indigent cataract patients to receive sight and prevent blindness.
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