By Demilade Aderibigbe
Two eye-care focused organisations, Vcare for Development Foundation (VCDF) and the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation (TCF), have partnered to carry out various eye care services on no fewer than 148 people suffering from eye defects in Akwa Ibom State.
The event, which took place at the Eastern Obolo Local Government Area Headquarters of Akwa Ibom State, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, signified the inauguration of a joint initiative named Sustainable Primary Eye Care Services (SPECS) meant to provide basic eye care services to the poor and needy people of Akwa Ibom State and the country at large.
Dr. Igbemi Arthur, Executive Secretary, Health Insurance Agency, Akwa Ibom State who spoke on behalf of the organisation said; “this programme is to motivate the beneficiaries to prioritise routine eye check-ups that will help preserve their eyesight and make them understand the importance of eye health”.
Describing the eye as the window to the mind and an integral part of a man’s wellbeing, Dr Arthur said; the power of sight, enables us to interact with the environment, from the minute we wake up until the moment we sleep. “A proper eye care is therefore necessary in order to maintain optimal eye health,” the Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance Agency chief said.
He listed Cataract, one of the leading causes of vision impairment worldwide affecting millions of people of all ages, as one of the fast spreading eye defect plaguing the people of the area, Arthur said if not immediately tackled, cataract can significantly reduce an individual’s quality of life.
“Cataracts may not go away on their own rather, they can worsen with time. The goal of VCDF and TCF in providing surgical operations for cataract removal is to stop the disease from eventually affecting the vision.
Speaking, the chairman of Eastern Obolo LGA – Hon. Abraham Odion, commended the VCDF and TCF for bringing the eye care to the communities in the Local Government which he said would go a long way to improve the quality of life of people of the grassroots.
“The SPECS will go a long way in advancing the well being of the people of the host communities and enrich all aspects of community health and wellbeing,” the Chairman said.
Odion, said, “VCDF and TCF have taken up a great initiative to uplift the host communities and this is a significant step forward in the efforts to cure eye related sicknesses, ensuring a brighter future for the communities”.
The paramount ruler of Eastern Obolo, His Majesty Ubong Harry John Etetor Ilile (IX), said the free eye care was a God sent for a number of people present at the occasion.