FOLLOWING Mammoth crowd that besieged the popular Maiduguri Eye Hospital located along Damboa road within the Metropolis jostling receive mega free Eye treatment and surgery cases, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has directed that the intervention be extended from 1,000 beneficiaries to 10,000.
Recall that Senator Ali Ndume (APC Borno South) in collaboration with the Borno State Government, Nigerians in Diaspora (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA) and Saudi philanthropists, organized a mega free eye camp, providing cataract surgery for 1,000 Borno citizens irrespective of where they come from.
Unveiling the programme at the Eye Hospital in Maiduguri on Monday, Zulum said, “the idea was hinted to him through Senator Ndume, who promised to sponsor 500 people, adding that, Borno State Government in it’s magnanimity then increased the number to 1,000.
“But due to the mass turn out of patients, I have directed that the number should be extended to 10,000, as each patients who received cartarac surgery would be given N50,000, while all medical workers who conducted the exercise would be given N100,000 each.
“This gesture became necessary because, in the course of interacting with the patients, some of them said, they have been suffering from the ailment in the last two years, but cannot offered to pay for the medical bills, which prevented them to come to hospital for treatment. Therefore, Government of Borno State is determined to provide free treatment and cure for all people suffering from eye diseases.
” Very soon, we are going to commission our newly constructed Eye and Dental Hospitals in Biu and Monguno. The Biu Eye Hospital will carter for the treatment of 3,000 patients in Southern Borno, while that in Monguno will treat another 3,000 patients from Northern Borno senatorial district.
“In Borno Central, we are to allocate a slot to another 4000 patients, and just like I said, each patients who undergo cartarac surgery will be given N50,000, with exception of cost of treatment”. Zulum stated.
He appreciated Senator Ndume and all the medical teams, including staff of the Ministry of Health and Human Services who have contributed to the success of the programme.
In an interview with Journalists shortly after the exercise, Senator Ndume said, “the gesture dated back to 2007, when I incidentally ran unto a Saudi Arabia Foundation managed by Kano and Katsina based philanthropists who usually gave him slots on annual basis.
“Unfortunately, due to the devastation caused by insurgents, we had no option than to halt the intervention since 2011. Now that we have peace, we have to resume, and this time around, the intervention is very unique, as the patients recovers fully and gain their sight within 24 hours after surgery without using eye glasses.
