Mirian Gom 
OSUN, Nigeria – More than 500 residents in Osun State are set to benefit from a free medical outreach offering eye and dental care, including cataract and pterygium surgeries.
The Osun Health Insurance Agency (OSHIA) launched the initiative on Monday in Owode-Ede, partnering with Rotary clubs in the state and the Rasaq Akindele Foundation to fund the intervention.
OSHIA Executive Secretary and Rotary Major Donor, Dr Rasaq Akindele, said the programme would provide free cataract and pterygium surgeries, corrective glasses and dental services, including scaling and polishing, curettage and tooth extraction. He said the initiative followed visits by Rotarians to eye and dental clinics and correctional centres, where they encountered children, young people and older residents with sight problems and serious dental conditions.
According to Akindele, more than 300 people had been screened for eye defects and over 200 for dental problems, bringing the number of potential beneficiaries to more than 500.
He added that 150 people screened during the exercise required surgery, which would be provided at no cost. “To the glory of God, we have successfully screened over 300 persons with eye defects and over 200 persons with dental issues. That is a total of over 500 beneficiaries who walked into our screening centres with pain and are now filled with hope,” Akindele said. “And we want to announce boldly here that every single person among them who requires surgery will be operated upon free of charge. No one will be left behind. Surgeries commence today, Monday, October 12,” he added.
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, represented at the event by his Special Adviser on Public Health, Dr Adekunle Akindele, said the programme reflected the government’s commitment to improving residents’ health and well-being. He commended the organisers for helping people who might otherwise struggle to access essential healthcare services.
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Oluwatobi Adu 