News
2,365 Visually Impaired Receive Free Eye Treatment In Rivers
An estimated 2,365 visually impaired persons in Rivers State have received free eye care services at the Lulu-Briggs Foundation, Port Harcourt.
The care services range from eye test to treatment and surgeries.
Chairman of the foundation, Dr. Siene Lulu-Briggs, said the foundation’s goal was to help treat vision impairment and prevent blindness among Nigerians by encouraging timely access to quality eye care rehabilitation.
Lulu-Briggs, who stated this during a three-day free eyecare outreach to both adults and children in Port Harcourt, noted that the exercise was to commemorate the celebration of the foundation’s 21st anniversary of its service to humanity.
She said a free eye care team comprising optometrists and ophthalmologists were on ground to attend to those who were experiencing problems with their visions at no cost to the patients.
She lamented that people took eye care for granted, thus resulting in preventable visual impairment and blindness.
‘’We tend to take our vision for granted, sight is the most prominent of human sense organs, it is central to every aspect of our lives’’, she said.
Lulu-Briggs said further that, “in Nigeria, routine eye checks are uncommon, access to quality eye care is constrained by the wider challenges in our health care system. Nigeria has only 4,000 optometrists and 700 ophthalmologists serving our population of 200million. Apparently 80percent of these eye care professionals are in private practice with high financial cost and additional barriers to those seeking eye care”.
She said one billion of the world’s 2.2billion cases of vision impairment and blindness are preventable according to the Nigeria Optometrist Association, while about 50million Nigerians have some form of vision disability or the other with the commonest conditions been cataract, glaucoma, dry eye and conjunctivitis.
The Tide reports that the Lulu Briggs Foundation has since 2005 provided free medical care to Niger Delta people.
This includes provision of 39 eye care clinics, free medication and surgeries, while 29,096 glasses were also dispensed to visually impaired persons.
The three-day screening, diagnostic and provision of medicine and dispensing of glasses exercise attended to 2,365 people while 991 glasses were dispensed.
No fewer than 214 eye surgeries and other hospital based procedures are scheduled to be carried out at a later date in batches.
The Foundation, during the exercise, also awarded 114 law students in the region the sum of N120,000 and a brand new laptop each to assist them in their studies.
By: Tonye Nria-Dappa & Theresa Frederick
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has tasked troops of Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD to dominate the battlespace and intensify offensive operations against kidnappers, bandits and other criminal elements in the North Central region.
Shaibu gave the directive yesterday during his maiden operational visit to the Headquarters, Joint Task Force North Central (JTF-NC), at Sobi Barracks, Ilorin.
This is contained in a statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Appolonia Anele, in Abuja, yesterday.
Shaibu said the Nigerian Army would remain resolute in its constitutional responsibility of safeguarding lives and property, stressing that troops must sustain pressure to decisively deny criminal elements freedom of action.
He assured personnel of continued deployment of combat enablers and operational resources to enhance clearance operations and dismantle criminal hideouts across Kwara and Niger states.
The COAS reaffirmed his commitment to troop welfare, noting that improved welfare remained critical to sustaining morale, operational effectiveness and combat readiness.
He urged the troops to remain disciplined, professional and loyal to the Constitution and the democratically elected government.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander, JTF-NC Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD, Maj.-Gen. Yakubu Yahaya, commended the COAS for his strategic leadership and support.
Yahaya assured that troops would remain committed and steadfast in restoring peace and stability in the region.
The Nigerian Navy says it is expanding training and infrastructure to address emerging security threats and strengthen operational efficiency across formations and units nationwide.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, spoke during the inauguration of projects at the Nigerian Navy Basic Training School (NNBTS) in Onne, Rivers as part of activities marking the Nigerian Navy’s 70th anniversary.
Abbas, represented by the Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Rear Adm. Ebiobowei Zipele, said the projects reflected significant progress made by the navy since its establishment in 1956 from the British Royal Navy.
“Training and infrastructure have improved significantly to meet contemporary security challenges and fulfil the navy’s constitutional responsibilities.”
According to him, the anniversary provides the navy an opportunity to reflect on its achievements and contributions over the past seven decades.
Projects inaugurated included a remodelled female trainees’ hostel accommodating more than 500 occupants and an expanded golf course upgraded from one to nine holes.
Others were the NNBTS fuel dump, Chief Boatswain’s Mate House, renovated pharmacy department and a new theatre block at the Naval Medical Centre, Onne.
Abbas described the new theatre as a major milestone for the navy’s medical services.
“Previously, injured personnel requiring surgeries were referred outside the facility.
“With this theatre, surgeries can now be conducted within the base.’’
He added that a 30KVA inverter had also been installed to guarantee uninterrupted electricity supply at the training school.
The naval chief assured officers, ratings and trainees that the navy leadership remained committed to their welfare and wellbeing.
“These infrastructure upgrades show the commitment of the Chief of Naval Staff to addressing operational and welfare challenges promptly,” he said.
In addition, NAVTRAC distributed educational materials to pupils of Community Primary Schools One and Two, Ogale, in Ebubu-Eleme area of Rivers.
Items distributed included exercise books, school bags and other writing materials as part of the navy’s civil-military engagement initiative.
Zipele said the outreach was designed to strengthen relations between the navy and host communities while supporting children’s education.
“Education remains critical to national growth and youth empowerment. Some of these pupils may eventually serve in the Nigerian Navy,” he said.
He noted that the initiative demonstrated the navy’s commitment to educational development, peace, security and sustainable community relations.
Zipele urged the pupils to remain disciplined, focused and committed to their studies while embracing patriotism, integrity and hard work.
He thanked the Ebubu community for its continued support for the naval training command headquarters and the navy.
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