Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The NNPC Foundation Ltd/Gte has successfully operated on 160 cataract patients, including three children born with the disease, as part of its South West free cataract screenings and extractive surgeries in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
This health outreach initiative aims to provide essential healthcare services to those in need, with a target of 1,000 patients from across the South West Region.
According to the Managing Director, NNPC Foundation Ltd/Gte, Mrs. Emmanuella Arukwe on Thursday, “vision is not merely a sense, but a fundamental enabler of human dignity and opportunity.”
Arukwe emphasized that the foundation is dedicated to creating sustainable initiatives that align with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3. She noted that the programme embodies their commitment to building a society where no one is left behind.
The NNPC Foundation’s South West medical outreach programme will be expanded to the five other geo-political zones across the nation, bringing the total number of NNPC’s sight restoration medical outreach to 6,000 Nigerians.
The Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Professor Adewale Musa-Olomu, urged NNPC to extend the medical outreach programme to cover other health-related issues.
The lead consultant to the foundation, Dr. Anne Okoroafor Amugo, highlighted that the focus is on supporting indigent and non-indigent individuals by restoring vision and enabling them to regain their productivity and independence.
“The NNPC Foundation is undertaking this initiative as a responsible corporate citizen, aiming to positively impact the lives of indigent Nigerians,” she said.
Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, described the intervention as timely and urged residents to take advantage of the programme.
The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the foundation, noting that they were previously charged N2.2 million for the same treatment at another hospital.
Over the past 20 months, NNPC Foundation has spearheaded numerous healthcare initiatives, including a pilot eye screening and glaucoma treatment programme for over 290 individuals in Abuja.
