- targets 1000 patients in South- South
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The NNPC Foundation has commenced free cataract extraction surgeries in Bayelsa State as part of its efforts to treat 1000 patients in the South- South geo-political zone.
The Managing Director of the Foundation, Mrs Emmanuella Arukwe, during the launch of the programme at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, noted that the foundation is determined to arrest the prevalent vision impairment and blindness across the country caused by cataract to boost the health of Nigerians.
According to her, the free cataract extraction surgeries have added to the several healthcare initiatives the NNPC foundation has undertaken in the past two years, including a pilot eye screening and treatment of glaucoma for over 290 Nigerians, free cancer screening and counselling for about 3,44 individuals across the six geo-political zones, medical outreach for treatment of non- communicable diseases and distribution of medical consumables to 450 Nigerians.
While pointing out that cataract remain one of the leading causes of blindness, accounting for 50% of cases in Nigeria, she added that in rural and underserved areas, limited access to quality eye care exacerbates the situation, forcing many individuals to live with blindness.
Mrs Arukwe stated that NNPC Foundation recognised the importance of sight, which underscores its outreach programme targeted to restore the sight of 6000 Nigerians across the six geo-political zones.
‘’Beyond the numbers, this means enabling people to reclaim their sight and enjoy the bountiful sights of nature, empowering breadwinners to work and support families, and giving students the chance to excel in their studies.
‘’NNPC Foundation’s decision to embark on this journey stems from two key motivations. First, it is deeply rooted in our mission to drive social impact based on our mandate as the social impact arm of NNPC Limited, committed to sustainable initiatives for target beneficiaries. Second, it aligns seamlessly with one of our key focus areas, which targets healthcare and community development. By addressing preventable blindness, we are not only improving individual lives but also strengthening families and local economies,’’ she added.
The First Lady of Bayelsa, Dr Mrs Gloria Diri, commended the NNPC Foundation for its commitment to improve healthcare in Nigeria.
She noted that catarach posed a significant challenge in Nigeria, stressing that NNPC Foundation’s intervention to combat blindness in Bayelsa was laudable.
Mrs Diri assured the beneficiaries that the NNPC Foundation is set to provide them with the best possible care and urged them to take advantage of the opportunity.
Also speaking, the Chief Medical Director of FMC Yenagoa, Dr James Omietimi, applauded the NNPC Foundation for taking up the challenge to tackle the menace of catarach and restore vision to Nigerians.
Omietimi, who expressed happiness that the FMC Yenagoa was picked by the NNPC Foundation as the venue of the surgery, called on other non-governmental organisations to rise to the challenge to tackle other life-threatening diseases.