Geeta Ashram, Rotary Club of Lagos Island Urge FG to Address Cases of Blindness
Ugo Aliogo
Beneficiaries of the just concluded free eye operation camp, tagged: ‘Vision 2020 -the right to sight’, organised by the Rotary Club of Lagos Island District 9110 Nigeria, in collaboration with the Geeta Ashram Nigeria in Kano State, have called on the federal government to play an active role in addressing the cases of blindness and other chronic ailments.
According to a statement issued to THISDAY by the media consultant to Rotary Club of Lagos Island District 9110, Aramide Noibi, it was noted that government health policies should focus on area of blindness and other chronicle ailments.
In their remarks, two of the beneficiaries, Christiana Ogunmola, and Mrs. Justina Obi, described blindness as an ailment which without adequate medical support, the patient may not be regain his/her sight back. On her part, Obi said her blindness forced her to the village in Anambra State before she regained her eyesight at the Free Eyesight Operation, at ECWA Eye Hospital, Kano.
It would be recalled that Geeta Ashram, started the projects since 2001, but stopped due to political and economic situation in the country. It later resumed in 2009 to date and subsequently partnered with the Rotary Mega Club of Lagos Island to actualize 2017 project.
Some of the beneficiaries included Zainab Nasiru from Kano, Asalamu Saleh from Jigawa, Sunday Oloruntoyin from Lagos, Alhaji. Magaji Idris from Kano, Alhaji. Umar Mohammed from Bauchi, Abdulahi Ado from Kano, and others. The total number of beneficiaries is 436 beneficiaries. The exercise involved at least a daily surgical operation of 80 beneficiaries, while the total operations accumulated 436 at the end of the exercise.
It was further noted that the exercise involved daily surgical operation of 80 beneficiaries, while at the end 436 beneficiaries were treated of various eye defects.
In their remark, the Coordinator, Rotary Club of Lagos Island, Chief Anil Gopwani; a member of the Trustees of Geeta Ashram, Lekki Phase 1 Lagos, Mr. Manu Lalwani, and the Coordinating Assistant of the programme, Mr. Samuel Tosanwumi, expressed appreciation to the medical team of the ECWA Eye Hospital Kano, led by the Medical Director, Dr. Mayor Atima, assistants, and other paramedical staff for their dogged strides to actualize such dream.