New Telegraph

Partnering for safer humanity

A traditional adage says, “the eyes are the windows of the soul.” It is also indeed the doorway to one’s heart; they reflect emotions and that of inner being. A lot, they said can be concluded from the expression of the eyes. Another adage says,

 

“Keep your eyes open and your feet moving forward. You’ll find what you need,” The above adages aptly described the throng of people who trooped down to Otta, area of Ogun State, to benefit from the free eye surgery organised Rotary International, District 9110.

 

The members of Rotary clubs under District 9110 consisting of Lagos and Ogun States launched a 3-day pilot project tagged, ‘Save our sights’ with motive of giving back to the society in line with Rotary beliefs and norms, last week.

 

The project was an initiative of members of Rotary clubs of Ota; Gbagada, Agege and Eko-atlantic with the Rotary club of Ota as the host partnering with Ace Medicare Clinics Otta, Ogun State. It is a project aimed at offering free eye surgery to about 400 people suffering from Cataract all around Lagos.

 

According to the organizers of the programme, the project comes in different phases. Head of Committee for the project, Dr Basirat Giwa also affirmed that the only motive behind the free surgical programme was brought up to help people suffering from cataract.

 

She added that the project has been ongoing for some months ago and will be progressing in the coming month. The president of Rotary club of Ota, Mrs Salawu Funke described the project as a district project which main motive was to offer free eye surgery to about 400 people suffering from cataract around the country.

 

“The project comes in different phase and this is just the first phase which nothing less than a 100 people would benefit from the program while the second phase will come up in February,” she said. Cataract of the eye as explained by one of the doctors, is an aging problem, electric shock causes cataract, radiation exposure, drugs, trauma.

 

He said he faced a little challenges when operating on some patient because they were anxious and the operation requires being calm and Stiff. One of the beneficiaries simply named as Michael, a 16-year-old boy told New Telegraph that he had cataract on both eyes but one has been operated upon. After the operation, he testified that he could see a little and believe to see clearly after proper medication.

 

Miss Adeola, a victim who was also affected by cataract for ten years said she was at her working place at somewhere in Isolo, Lagos when one of their customers who came in t o buy some items in her own session looked into her eyes and ask why she had cataract. She replied that she was hit by someone.

 

He then told her that there is a free eye surgery program organised by Rotary club in Ota. She tried it and she went to Rotary Head office at Ladoke GRA in Ikeja for the screening without informing her parents about it.

 

Already, Adeola said she had gone to an India doctor at Agege for check up and was told to prepare to undergo surgery, called Raditant eye surgery. Miss Adeola said she was surprised when they called her after two weeks to come for check up to know if she is fit for the surgical operation because some people can’t be operated on due to their medical health challenges .

 

For Adeola, it was a complete blessing as Rotary did the surgery without charging her for a dime. “They didn’t collect anything from me, the surgical operation, accommodations and feeding were all free.

 

She also said she was treated well during her stay for the surgery, their nurses and doctors were nice and caring even when we gave them trouble they still remained nice to them.

 

“I will keep thanking Rotary forever in my life time because this my eyes is a 10years problem which was a great challenge to me. Rotarians will always be blessed for the rest of their lives,” she enthused.

 

Oluwagbomi Micheal, another beneficiary, was also eternally grateful to Rotary for operating successfully on his eyes. Michael who got to know about the programme from his parents said the news brought joy to the family because he suffers cataract on both his eyes which one of them had been operated on earlier.

 

Dr Idris Saka, surgeon in charge of the project told New Telegraph that some cases of cataract differ and that while operating on patients, it requires great care and patience.

 

Doctor Saka further said that there is really no known symptom of cataract in the body but the eye vision will be reduced and colours will be affected with contrast. He also said that there are about three types of cataract cases including short sightedness or long sightedness which can be treated or corrected with the use of recommended glasses and drugs.

 

However, the Ace Medicare Clinics is a well equipped specialist hospital with necessary facilities, located in Ota. Doctor Oluwole Kukoyi, head of the clinic, who is also a member of the Rotary said that Rotary club of Ota club is more pleased and eager to do its very best in rendering self-less service to humanity.

 

According to him, Cataract can be said to be a deficiency in the eye in which the vision get blurry and clouding.

 

He added that it could be as a reason of ageing in most cases while it can also be as an effect of radiation, electric shock, trauma etc.

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