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By Sunday Ani
The presiding bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Mike Okonkwo, has gone into partnership with the Eye Foundation Hospital to offer free eye cataract screening and surgery to Nigerians with sight problems in Lagos.
The screening, which took place at the church’s headquarters along Gbagada Road, Anthony Village in Lagos recently, was part of the activities lined up to mark Bishop Okonkwo’s 80th birthday in September. Over 500 Nigerians, cutting across religion, tribe and ethnicity were screened for the free eye cataract at the church’s headquarters, while surgeries for those who were found to have eye cataract took place at the Eye Foundation Hospital.
Speaking about the inspiration for the programme, the Global Chairman for Bishop Mike Okonkwo, BMO@80, Rev Chinedu Nkere, said Okonkwo had been in the forefront of giving back to society. “Community outreaches have been part and parcel of what we do in TREM. As a matter of fact, every TREM church has a department called the national transformation directorate, saddled with the responsibility of different kinds of outreaches,” he said.
On the selection process for the beneficiaries, he said it was made public to everybody through announcements in the church and through fliers and those who were interested registered. “Many of them are not even members of the church. We had over 1000 that registered. The registration was both online and physical.
“It doesn’t matter whether you are a Christian, a Muslim, a traditionalist or even an atheist, so long as you are a human being, you are qualified to register and benefit from the programme,” he said.
He said he felt happy because at the end of the day, someone’s vision would be restored. “This is our own way of repeating what Christ did when he healed the blind. Through this programme, we help people to restore their sight,” he said
He also stated that going forward; the Octogenarian bishop would do more for humanity, maybe, not a replica of the current programme but something similar. “And when someone’s sight is restored, it creates a lasting impact in the rest of the person’s life. The person will always remember that it is when the Bishop turned 80 that his/her sight was restored and that is good news for us,” he added.
In his message to Nigerians, he said: “As God keeps him alive, he will continue to do more and impact more lives. Life is not about what you get; it is actually about what you give.”
Also speaking, the coordinator of the programme, Tony Samson described the outreach as a platform to touch people’s lives as the church celebrates Okonkwo’s 80th birthday. “So, it’s like him using this occasion to give back.
“So, what we are doing today and tomorrow is gathering the people for screening. The screening is free and any cataract issue that is detected is scheduled for surgery.
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“We’re also giving out 480 devices. So, it’s all about giving an opportunity to people, first to access free eye screening and then for individuals who have eye cataracts that they are not aware of, to be treated free of charge,” he said.
On the impact of the programme, he said: It will impact the people’s lives in a very great way. We are helping people who would otherwise have gone blind to be able to see because the healthcare in our country is not at the level it should be. There are people that cannot afford surgery as low as N250, 000 and then when you talk about cataracts, it’s not something that is cheap.
“So, we are taking the burden off a lot of people. We are enabling people who ordinarily would not be able to access this kind of healthcare to access it. Like, you know, you can’t fix all the problems as one person because you are not God but you can target the one you need. So, it’s like, you do what you can do, I do what I can do, and we touch lives.”
Speaking about the partnership, Dr Lasisi Wasiu, Hospital Service Manager/Outreach Coordinator, Eye Foundation Hospital, said they were in partnership with TREM because apart from being contacted by the church for partnership in cataract screening and surgery, the hospital has also been involved in such community service over the years. “We usually go to communities that don’t have hospitals to enlighten people on how to take care of their eyes and where they can get best treatment for their eye problems and we have been doing that for over 25 years,” he added.
He stated that after the screening at the church premises, those that have cataract are referred to their hospital for further screening and surgery.
One of the beneficiaries, a 71-year old from Imo State, Evang Macaulay Iheakolam, said he has been living with the eye problem for five years. “I have been using glasses before this opportunity. I was overwhelmed with happiness when I heard about this. I am very happy and I pray that God will bless the Bishop with a long life.
“The church has been growing and it will continue to grow. I am impressed with the organisation of this exercise. I will aggressively market the church after the process,” he stated.
Another beneficiary, Deaconess Jane Esemoka, described Bishop Okonkwo as a man of integrity, who wants things to be done in an orderly manner. “I have been screened and confirmed to have cataract. I was told last year that I need to go for surgery. So, with this opportunity, it will be easy for me,” she said.
She expressed happiness to God for the opportunity, saying, “It is an opportunity and I will not let it pass by. I started using glasses in 1967 when I was in class two. Then it was just for sight but now it has degenerated to cataract. When it is removed, I can then use the two eyes but right now, the left eye is not working properly.
“I thank the Bishop for organizing this kind of programme because it is rare these days. May God continue to bless him for always reaching out to the needy in our society,” she said.
