By Leonard Okachie
Abia Government says it is set to train about 120 teachers to recognise the basic symptoms of eye defects, enabling them to refer children for proper medical attention.
Dr Betty Emeka-Obasi, the Administrator, Abia Eye Health Management Bureau, made this known on Thursday on the occasion of the 2024 World Sight Day.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of this year’s celebration is: “Love Your Eyes, Kids.”
She said that the teachers would be selected from both public and private schools in the pilot scheme.
Emeka-Obasi said that the bureau had special outreaches in 18 public schools, six in each senatorial zone this year
She further disclosed that the organisation recently held free eye assessment examinations for 200 teachers and 3,600 pupils in the state.
According to her, once report collation is completed, they will be issued prescription glasses free, courtesy of the Governor, Dr Alex Otti.
She said that the bureau had made significant progress in the last
12 months, adding that the upgraded and retrofitted Diagnostic Centre Eye Clinic Umuahia had attended to over 10,000 patients.
The administrator continued: “Two more eye clinics have been onboarded at Amachara General Hospital and Ugwunabo Sustainable Development Hospital.
“Work has commenced at the eye clinics at Aba and Okeikpe General Hospitals.
“By year end, we plan to have five more functional eye clinics, making a total of eight functional eye clinics across the general hospitals in the state.”
In a remark, the Wife of the Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti, said the government was working tirelessly to provide a good and affordable health care services to the residents.
Otti described the eyes as the window to the beauty of the world, while urging parents to make their children’s eye care a top priority.(NAN)
