From India, a welcome gift of sight
From Adamu Abuh, Kano
FOR two weeks, and from all over the North-West geo-political zone, they came, men and women, the young and old.
Though different in many aspects, they all had two things in common: they all suffered from one type of eye problem or the other and they were all poor.
Their destination was the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, where a team of ophthalmologists from India with a worldwide track record of successful eye surgeries, were waiting.
The Indian eye-specialists were in Kano under the sponsorship of NIPCO Plc. to run a free eye-camp named "Save The Sight".
The patients also had another thing in common: they had all tried different medications to solve their eye problems to no avail and the "Save The Sight" programme was a last resort.
Perhaps, their hopes might have been raised by the fact that NIPCO Plc., one of the leading distributors and marketers of petroleum products across the country, was behind it all.
Two categories of patients were targeted: the less- privileged who could not afford the cost of the necessary eye surgery and those, who, though they could have afforded the cost, however, did not have the opportunity and access to a experienced and well-tested medical personnel in the country.
After days of screening, a good number of the patients were diagnosed with different ailments such as glaucoma, cataract and other diseases.
There were even those who had completely lost their sight.
Among those who took advantage of the free eye treatment was Zarau Tukur, who clearly looked malnourished.
At the tender age of five, she had been faced with the prospect of going blind.
Even her grandmother, Zainab Abubakar, who brought her to AKTH could not tell how her eye problem started.
But she said it was only last year that Zarau's ailment became noticeable.
"At birth, she was okay. Her mother is not here but I can tell you that nothing was wrong with her eyes initially until when we started noticing that there was a problem.
Whenever we asked her to identify something, it was always difficult for her to do so. That was when we knew there was a problem."
It was Zarau's problem and those of hundreds of others that the team of ophthalmologists from the Rotary Eye Institute in Nasvari, India, came to solve.
Led by Dr. Viral Purolit, the 12 other ophthalmologists carried out an average of 80 surgeries per day during which they ensured that Zarau's eyes were successfully operated upon.
A happy Zainab could not contain her joy when she saw that Zarau's eye surgery was successful as she expressed gratitude to God for musing NIPCO Plc. and the foreign ophthalmologists to bring relief to the needy.
She said God sent the humanitarian outfit to help restore eyesight to her only grandchild.
Another grateful beneficiary was Binta Audu who hailed from Makarfi Dala within the Kano metropolis. She might have developed eye problems due to years of exposure to the harsh Kano sun.
She told The Guardian that the eye camp came at the right time.
Recalling that the last time she was operated upon was 10 years ago, Binta told The Guardian that she has not been able to go for a medical check-up due to lack of funds.
" I once had an eye surgery, but since then, I have not been able to go back to the hospital again because of money.
But thank God, I now have the opportunity. I was screened and then given treatment. They even gave me glasses to protect my eyes. I feel good now."
Another patient, 64-year- old Fatima Abdullahi, was elated with the "Save The Sight" eye clinic, saying: " I can now see. I did not know I would get help again in my life. I am pleased that help came to me at this stage of my life."
NIPCO's Managing Director, Mr. Girish Sanadhya, told The Guardian that the free eye clinic was not only in line with his company's corporate social responsibility, but also to support the Federal Government's Seven -Point Agenda that aimed at ensuring a healthy life for the citizens.
While the exercise lasted, about 1,000 persons out of 6,500 patients screened were operated.
Those who required them also went home with free eyeglasses for refractive error correction.
Coordinating ophthalmologist, Dr. Musbau Sanni Kurawa, a Senior Ophthalmologist in AKTH, expressed satisfaction with the programme.
He said, however, that much more needed to done by other corporate bodies to ensure transfer of the appropriate skills and technology as well as make more eyeglasses available to save more Nigerians from losing their sight.
Kano State Health Commissioner, Hajiya Aisha Kiru, who took time to attend the eye camp programme thanked officials of NIPCO for the gesture.
She enjoined other corporate organizations to support government's efforts to ensure the wellbeing of Nigerians.
Prior to the Kano Save The Sight project, the first eye surgery organized by NIPCO had taken place in Yola, Adamawa State, North-west Zone.
Next week, the free eye clinic moves to Abakaliki, Ebonyi State in the South-East while Ibadan has been tentatively picked as centre for the South-West zone of the country.
