Ministry, Society Charge Drivers On Periodic Eye Check

As Rivers State joins the
rest of the world in marking the 2016 World Sight Day, the state Ministry of Health alongside the Opthalmological Society of Nigeria, have stressed the need for all drivers and road users to ensure a periodic medical eye-check to enhance their health and safety on the roads.
This has become imperative following the everyday and now use of the road by virtually every member of the society and for it to be practicable, demands the inclusion of a eye-check test as one of the criteria for drivers license and renewals.
Speaking at the Free Eye Testing and Treatment Programme organized by the Opthalmological Society of Nigeria (OSN) for drivers at the Abali Park, Port Harcourt, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Theophilus Odagme described the eye as a very vital organ of the body and stressed the need for it to be in good condition to be able to go through the busy roads of the state.
“The eye that uses the road must be good and to ensure that the drivers are able to overcome the condition of the roads, their sight organ must be in good condition. While I call on our drivers to always do a routine eye check, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) should also make eye check part of the criteria for drivers license renewal”, Odagme said.
The chairman, Opthalmological Society of Nigeria, Rivers State branch, Dr Martins Eke noted that eye problems do not select the age of the individual, recommended a periodic eye check for the drivers.
Eke who disclosed that the programme was to ensure that road users know the importance of good vision said “any person with visual impairment who uses a corrective glass is better.
“We are doing this as part of our activities to mark this year’s World Sight Day and to create in us the awareness that we need to have a very good sight for us to be able to drive safely on our roads”.
Also speaking, the Zonal Commander, Zone 6, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Jones Agwu maintained that drivers with visual impairment without corrective measures increases road accidents by four percent.
Agwu said “I hardly see any driver using glasses and this poses the big question, whether non of our drivers have any eye problem?”
Agwu who described the programme as coming in the nick of time, lauded the OSN and other partners and promised to continue with the programme in other parts of the state.
On his part, the Chairman, Rivers State Road Transport Workers Union, Pastor Ominiayebogha Kalango called on drivers in the state to avoid acts that would result in road accidents and car crashes in these ember months.
Kalango commended the Opthalmologists and other facilitators of the programme for their efforts in creating the awareness among the drivers.
He further lauded the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike for bringing a face-lift to the roads in the state, urging more efforts for a smooth drive iin the season.

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