Anambra State Government has reiterated its commitment toward the well-being of workers by commencing conduct of free glaucoma eye screening for the Public Service Community in the state.
The free glaucoma eye test was being organised by Anambra Government through the Office of the Head of Service.
The idea was to prevent blindness and impaired vision among workers in the state.
The eye screening exercise commenced on Nov. 20 at the Jerome Udoji Secretariat’s Eye Clinic, Awka. “It will run through to the Dec. 14’’.
Dr Agatha Mouka, an Optometrist, described glaucoma as group of related eye diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve.
“It carries information from the eye to the brain,’’ she said.
She emphasised that glaucoma was a “silent thief of sight’’, existing without any noticeable or disturbing signs and symptoms.
Mouka noted that glaucoma was the second leading cause of blindness in the world.
She also observed that high eye pressure, untreated eye infection were some of the causes of eye diseases.
Mouka added that glaucoma could also be hereditary, moving from parents to offspring.
She also noted that blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision, tunnel vision, pains in the eyes were also symptoms of glaucoma.
The optometrist, then, advised people to always go for routine eye pressure examinations and avoid smoking, maintain healthy weight and lifestyle.
“You should also avoid any type of trauma or injury and self medication in case of eye problems,’’ she said, noting that such could help them to prevent eye diseases.
Another Optometrist from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, Amaku Awka, Dr Joy Nwankwo said that glaucoma was a dreadful eye disease that slowly cause blindness without one knowing it.
She, then, called on civil servants to avail themselves of the opportunity to be screened and advised them to maintain annual eye check up as early detection prevent would blindness and impaired vision.
Some civil servants, Mr Chikelue Okeke, Mrs. Chukwuma Chioma and Mrs. Mayr Obi, who benefited from the exercise, thanked the state government and the organisers of the event for putting together such a programme.
They prayed God to reward the organisers of the programme accordingly and then called on other civil servants to participate in the exercise. “Our eyes are our light and we shall protect them,” they re-echoed.
