The Nigeria Ophthalmic Nurses Association (NONA) says it will provide free eye health service to commercial drivers in Gombe State.
Mr Stephen Lamiya, the Acting Chairman of the association, disclosed this in Gombe on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the 31st Annual National Scientific 5th Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference.
“We are going to move to Gombe central Motor Park to render free eye health service,” he said.
He said they have decided to extend their services to commercial drivers because their sight is very important considering their profession.
He said after the free service they will prescribe glasses to those that need glasses and refer those that need surgery to hospitals. The chairman said the association has been in existence for the past 31 years and they have touched the lives of many Nigerians.
“This programme has restored sight to thousands of people blinded from cataract free of charge,” he said.
He said the theme of 2017 conference is “Vision 2020: the journey so far in Nigeria”, adding that it is a global initiative that aims at eliminating avoidable blindness by the year 2020.
Mr Charles Iliya, the Deputy Governor of the state, who declared the conference open, described the theme as apt and timely.
“This is because the year 2020 is the global target of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to eliminate the avoidable causes of blindness in the world.
“This event would therefore offer the association opportunity to review the challenges and conduct diagnostic review towards achieving the target,” he said.
Welcoming delegates earlier, Mrs Magdalene Adamu, the state branch Chairman of NONA, noted that this was the second time Gombe was hosting the conference after 17 years.
She appealed to the state government to provide a bus for the association to enable members conduct medical outreach to rural areas. (NAN)
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