A total number of 58 patients were screened for various eye health issues at the official commissioning of Lions, District 404 B1, Modular Eye Centre at Ijoko Primary Health Centre in the Ado-Odo Ota Local Government area of Ogun State. 51 out of those screened got free eye glasses, five were given drugs while one was referred to Lions Eye Center at the State general Hospital Ota.
Before the commencement of the official commissioning 11am, Tuesday 19th September, people from within and around Ijoko environments have thronged the Ijoko Primary Health Centre, the location of the new modular eye center, for the examination of their eye health status.
The Ijoko Modular Eye Centre is one of the six newly constructed, fully equipped vision projects funded by Lions Clubs International Foundation and Latter-Day Saint Charities, under the Development of Sustainable Vision Centers in Ogun State Nigeria.
Lion (PDG) Oluremi Odunmbaku, who represented the District Governor, Lions District 404B1 Nigeria, Lion Kema Ashibuogwu, welcomed dignitaries including Ogun State Government, Ado-Odo Ota Local Government officials, kith and kin of Ijoko, Lions and Leos of District 404 B1 Nigeria and men of the press to the unveiling and official commissioning of the Ijoko Modular Eye Center.
According to PDG Odunmbaku, the Ijoko Modular Eye center, like the other five new modular centers in Ogun state, is conceptualized to provide referrals to Lion Eye Centre, Ogun State General Hospital, Ota, in cases that are too complex for the centers to handle. While imploring the governments and those who will manage the centers to look after the facility, Odunmbaku admonished the people of Ijoko, the potential beneficiaries of the project to visit the facility regularly to get remedy for their eye health challenges.
Also speaking at the commissioning, the Chairperson of the Lions’ District 404 B1 Ogun State Sustainable Vision Project, Lion (PDG) Waheed Kadiri expressed appreciation to God and the officials of Ogun State Government as well as the Chairman of Ado-Odo Ota Local Government, Honorable Serif Adewale Musa, who is a guest of honor at the event. PDG Kadiri informed the people that the funding for the project is not Nigeria’s lions’ money but pool of resources from lions all over the world through the Lions Clubs International Foundation and Latter-Day Saint Charities as funding partners.
Kadiri charged the chairman and people of the Local government to see the modular eye center as theirs and give it the best management possible. He encouraged the people to take advantage of the state- of- the -art eye health equipment in the center by using the services provided at the center.
The Project Administrator, Lion (PDG) Lekan Babalola, in his address said the Modular Eye Centre project is conceptualized to address major eye health challenges of availability, accessibility and affordability in Ogun State in Nigeria. According to PDG Babalola, “the vision project aims to provide a model primary eye care that will address major challenges of eye health- Availability, Accessibility and Affordability. The modular eye centers will not only correct refractive errors, provide spectacles, refer other blinding conditions to the Lions Eye Clinic at the Ogun state General Hospital, Ota, the modular centers will also continuously give eye health education to communities to prevent eye health challenges”.
While expressing appreciation to International Association of Lions Clubs and the donors for the project Lions Clubs International Foundation and Latter-Day Saint Charities, the Chairman of Ado-Odo Ota LGA, Hon. Serif Adewale Musa, thanked the state governor and his deputy for citing the modular eye center in the local government area. Serif told the people at the commissioning that the lions clubs constructed and equipped the modular eye project with a heart of kindness. He pledged on behalf of the LGA and the people that the facility will be properly looked after.
The Executive Chairperson, Ogun State Eye Health Committee, Dr Mrs Oluwatoni Onabolu, who represented the Honorable Commissioner for Health, Ogun State, Dr Tomi Coker, said 90% of blinding condition is preventable, adding that blindness impairs growth and development in people. He thanked lions clubs for their vision to ensure people don’t go blind. While imploring the people to take eye health issue seriously, she advised them to visit the modular eye center for their eye concerns, assuring them that the Ijoko Modular Eye Centre is well equipped.
Some of the equipment in the facility according to The Project Administrator, Lekan Babalola include screening equipment, examination and diagnostic gadgets, refraction equipment, optical workshop, prescription glasses and other accessories. To ensure uninterrupted power supply, each of the six modular eye centers has a standby generator.
Source: Dare Agbeluyi, Chief Publisher.
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