Nigerian Newsday

By Abubakar Sani

Reprieve has come the way of patients suffering from cataract, glaucoma and other eye ailments who are in the employ of the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja. They are to receive free eye screening.

This largesse is coming courtesy of the National Eye Centre, Kaduna which flagged off the exercise recently.

The exercise requires the patients to undergo a Visual Aguity (VA) test to determine the exact condition of the patient’s eyes as well as the type of treatment required.

A press released issued by the National Eye Centre, Kaduna an signed by Haruna Ibrahim, said that patients with need for eye glasses are expected to undergo refraction, while those with worrisome conditions would be referred to the centre for further treatment.

"The cost of the glasses ranges between five hundred naira (N500.00) to six thousand naira (N6,000.00) while some drugs within affordable prices such as Terramycin, Chlorophenicol (both ointment and drops), gentamycin, antisin, optimol and opticrons would be readily administered", the statement added.

The Chief Medical Director of the National Eye Centre Kaduna, Dr. Chineye Patricia Ozinula the statement said, encouraged the staff to always undergo checks to ascertain the conditions of their eyes before it is too late.

Some of the staff of the ministry according to the statement, were happy with the exercise and said that it is part of the dividend of the reform in the health sector.

Two hand books containing information about cataract and understanding glaucoma at the cost of one hundred naira each were recommended by the team handling the exercise to help crate awareness about some of the eye problems.