No fewer than 2500 residents of Ogoja local government areas of Cross River State have benefited from the one week free eye care service organised by the Ministry for Local Government Affairs, in collaboration with Tulsi-Chanrai Foundation, a non-governmental organisation in the state and Ogoja Local Government Council .
The exercise which was facilitated by Ogoja Local Government Council, was described by participants as a welcome development, recorded a turnout of two thousand five hundred (2,500) patients with eye related cases who came for the free eye treatment across the ten wards of the Local Government Area.
According to the Chairman’s representative, Martha Abang, the supervisor for health, said she was encouraged with the turnout of patients who came for the exercise. She noted that out of the total number of patients who came for the free medical examination and treatment, Urban and Mbube West had 15 patients each to undergo major eye operation among others.
According to the Council boss, Rita Ayim, said, out of the total number of patients who came for the exercise, 35 have been taken to General hospital Calabar for major operation and said the foundation will come back in a week’s time to convey the last group of patients.
She stressed that the foundation had to group them in two, because of the transportation arrangement and informed the remaining group that the commissioner for Local Government Affairs has also made provision for all of them and none would be left behind.
She used the occasion to thank the commissioner for Local Government Affairs and Tulsi-Chanrai foundation for providing free eye treatment for the people of Ogoja, and described the exercise as a wonderful one, stressing that the exercise was organised to enable them correct their sight.
Speaking in the same vein, Richard Sylvester, the programme manager of the foundation said everything has been put in place by the sponsors of the program and that they are going to look into critical issues relating to eye problems during the examination.
He maintained that, the exercise will involve free eye screening, drugs and glasses for those identified with major eye problems who will also be taken along with them to Calabar for proper eye care.
Responding on behalf of the participants during the free eye care program, Thomas Igbaji, a chief, thanked the sponsor of the program and urged other well meaning sons and daughters of Ogoja to emulate Ntufam Peter Ojie to bring such programs closer to the people. He also used the opportunity to thank the chairman for partnering with the foundation during the eye care services.
MIKE ABANG
