EDSG to partner Eye experts on free eye care
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has assured the Nigeria Optometrics Association that his administration will work closely with them to ensure that children in primaries 1-6 are provided with free eye care.
The Governor dropped this hint during the opening ceremony of the 41st annual National conference of the Nigeria Optometrics Association held in Benin.
He said that the theme for the conference was very important being that eye sight problem is one of the rampant all over the world and therefore an indication of major health care issues.
Obaseki noted that Edo State takes health care very seriously and as such has adopted strategies to deal with health care issues.
The strategies, according to the governor, included the domestication of the National Health care scheme, state health insurance arrangement, and focus on primary health care.
He charged the association to step up their game in eye care services and also called on other stakeholders to join hands to achieve a better eye health.
In his speech, the president of the association, Dr. Damian Echendu noted that the time is now for all to unite in providing the necessary support required to meet the World Health Organisation and International Agency for Prevention of Blindness target of reducing the prevalence of avoidable visual impairment by 25 percent by the year 2019.
The Edo State chairman of the association, Dr. Michael Nwoko, said that the conference creates an opportunity for Optometrists all over the country and beyond to come together with common vision in line with the overall objectives of the association as well as channel out pathways in which the profession can be effectively strengthened to guarantee visual welfare of the public.
