Jubilation As Over 2,000 People Get Free Eye Surgery and Other Treatments From FG
Oru Leonard
Not less than 2,000 people in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria have benefited from the Federal Government’s free medical outreach at Nko, Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State over the weekend.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary, Aminu Aliyu Bisalla, represented by the Director Community Development and Education in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Mrs Lauren Braide, said the 3-day event was part of the Ministry’s sensitization and enlightenment campaign programme on HIV/AIDS, Rollback Malaria, Cancer and Eye care in the Niger Delta region.
The Permanent Secretary called on stakeholders and Non-governmental organisations to support the Federal Government’s efforts at meeting the health needs of the people of the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
“The turnout is quite beyond our expectations, we will ensure that very serious cases will be given referrers where necessary,” he added.
Bisalla reiterated that similar events had taken place in some states of the region, Ondo, Edo, and Akwa Ibom saying that Delta and Bayelsa States were captured as the beneficiaries of the ongoing exercise.
The Permanent secretary hinted that the sorry state of the Community Health Centre at Nko had been noted, adding that necessary steps would be taken to upgrade the facility.
The event witnessed free eye surgery of over 100 people, children and the elderly, free test and distribution of drugs for people suffering from malaria, diabetes, high blood pressure and those living with HIV/AIDS, as more than 2,000 people received free eye glasses and drugs, after being tested by medical personnels.
In his remarks, the traditional ruler of Nko community, His Royal Majesty, Obel Effifiom Ayomobi expressed gratitude to the Federal Government in attending to the medical needs of the people of the Niger Delta region, especially the people of Nko and its environs, saying, “A country where everybody is sick is not a country.”
His Royal Majesty then prayed God to give President Muhammadu Buhari more opportunities to consolidate the feats he had recorded in the Niger Delta region and Nigeria in general.
Earlier, the leader of the facilitators of the medical outreach, Dr. Kamal Umar said his team was able to carry out effective treatments for the various ailments discovered on the people in the course of the exercise due to the cooperation of the people of the community. He added that all the eye surgeries carried out were successful and many who had almost lost their sights got them restored and they were happy.
One of the beneficiaries of the eye surgery, Retired Sergeant Ibor Ibor Enang expressed happiness that his 22 years of suffering was put to an end with the Ministry of Niger Delta’s free eye surgery.
