By Ijendu Iheaka
Umuahia. April 9, 2025
The Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Foundation, Mrs Emmanuella Arukwe says the organization is fighting cataract because it is impeding development in Nigeria.
Arukwe said this during the official flag off of the NNPC 1000 Free Cataract Extraction surgery outreach at the Abia Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Center in Umuahia on Wednesday.
She said that NNPC is excited to engage and treat patients during the outreach which would run in the six geopolitical zones of the country because it is restoring the sight of Nigerians.
“We know that about 43 per cent of blindness is caused by cataract and that with this programme, sights will be restored.
“And with the sight of the beneficiaries restored, they would have the capacity to contribute their quota to the development of Nigeria and Abia state,” she said.
The Abia Commissioner for Health, Prof Enoch Uche said the programme aimed at treating cataract which is a preventable disease is an intentional act.
He said research had shown that treating patients with cataract gave them a new lease on life and made them five times more productive.
Uche said cataract accounts for close to 50 million cases of blindness worldwide hence Gov. Alex Otti’s support to the programme which began screening on March 31.
He said screening successfully ended on April 5 with 650 screened at Abia Specialist Hospital, Umuahia, and 746 at General Hospital, Aba while a total of 477 have been booked for surgery.
He urged residents to direct sight-impaired patients to Abia hospitals who would take care and not to quacks who do “Couching” which destroys the eyes of patients.
The commissioner appreciated the NNPC and doctors in Abia and other stakeholders for making the project possible.
Mrs Ngozi Azodo, Special Adviser to Gov. Alex Otti on Health Matters said there are three centres where the cataract screening and surgery are done in Abia.
She said the centres include General Hospital Aba, Madonna Catholic Hospital Umuahia and the Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Center in Umuahia.
Anazodo thanked the Coordinator of the programme, Dr Ann Amaugo and other team members for making the project successful.
The Administrator, Abia Eye care Management Bureau, Dr Betty Emeka-Obasi said the team went to three communities in each of Abia’s 17 LGAs to screen people.
She said the success of the outreach was the result of Abia Health Commissioner’s professional coordination of the ministry and its operations as a family.
Emeka-Obasi thanked Gov. Alex Otti for supporting the project, the commissioner for coordinating, the doctors for their commitment and the residents for responding.
Mrs Ngozika Emeka and Sir Daniel Ikpa, beneficiaries of the NNPC sponsored cataract surgery, said they were helpless until the NNPC came to their rescue with the project in Abia.
The duo said they regained sight after the surgery and thanked God, NNPC, the governor, the doctors and coordinators for giving them the opportunity to see again.
