Date Published: 06/08/09

In Ondo, harvests of joy as the blinds see

Dr Olusegun Mimiko, the Governor of Ondo State, presenting free eye glasses to one of the beneficiaries of the Mega Eye Camp

Last Friday in Ondo State , the Government of Dr Olusegun Mimiko carried out free surgical operations on patients suffering from cataract as part of activities commemorating its 100 days in office. Our reporter XXX XXX, who witnessed the joy of the 1,200 beneficiaries of the biggest eye surgeries ever in the State which was tagged: Mega Eye Camp reports 

 She had given up hope. Indeed, before the three days events that led to the restoration of her eyesight, she had contemplated committing suicide. She reasoned that death was more preferable to the ignominy of being led about by her little daughter and labeled a blind woman by jeering neighbours.

For Madam Salamotu Aliu, a 65 year-old native of Ihima in Kogi State , life no longer had any meaning. Reason: She lost her eyesight to a growth in her two eyes and for 6 years, she had been in total darkness and had to be led about in her search for succour. But luck smiled on her two weeks ago when, by chance, she heard about the free screening of those with visual impairment to be carried out by the Ondo State Government under its Mega Eye Camp Programme on the radio.

Upon inquiries, she was directed to the Millennium Eye Centre located within the precincts of the Akure Specialist Hospital . She came more out of curiosity than the chance that she could be considered. Out of the over 3000 people with various degree of eye defects that thronged the Millennium Eye Centre, Salamotu was one of those who scaled the hurdle. She was screened and told to prepare for the operation that would restore her sight.

“Initially when I was told that I would be operated upon free of charge and that I will regain my sight, I was filled with various conflicting emotions, I was skeptical of the genuine of this scheme because it was to me unbelievable that I will see again after six years! Again, I was scared they will ask me to bring money since I am from Kogi State and not from Ondo State . But in three day, here I am, with my eyesight restored, oh! I am happy.

A cross section of some of the Mega Eye Camp waiting for Governor Olusegun Mimiko to remove the final bandages from their eyes

“I thank Dr Olusegun Mimiko for this wonderful gesture to all these people like me who came here stone-blind and today we can see. May almighty Allah bless him, may He guide our Governor and his team. May Ondo State under him continue to prosper Insha Allah. Nagode kware kware (Thank you very much),” Madam Aliu intoned with tears streaking down her leathery face.

For 1,200 visually impaired people in Ondo State , last Friday would forever be evergreen in their lives as they went home with their sights restored. Of this number, 200 people with cataract in their eyes which had made them blind for years were operated upon free while 1000 people had free corrective eye glasses distributed to them under the Mega Eye Camp of the Dr Olusegun Mimiko’s health scheme. The exercise was carried out to commemorate the first 100 days in office of the Mimiko Administration.

For close watchers of happenings in the State, the Mega Eye Camp programme aside from being carried out on May 29, a date which coincided with the 10 th year anniversary of the enthronement of Democracy in Nigeria, the event also had significant meaning for Dr Olusegun Mimiko who was also marking his first 100 days in office after a protracted battle to reclaim his stolen mandate from the Olusegun Agagu regime.

Mimiko, a medical doctor, had as the Commissioner for Health under the Bamidele Olumilua administration, conceived of the idea of a Millennium Eye Centre to embark on mass surgeries for those with eye defects which the conventional hospitals would not be able to accommodate.

Joy as Dr Olusegun Mimiko, the Governor of Ondo State removes the bandages from the eyes of the beneficiary of the Mega Eye Camp

His dream was unfortunately aborted when the military struck. However, Mimiko had another chance when as a second time Health Commissioner under the Late Adebayo Adefarati in 2003; he built, equipped and commissioned the Millennium Eye Centre within the first 100 days of that administration and commenced mass operations for people with cataracts and other visual impairment which he tagged: Festivals of Surgery.

Thus, by the event of last Friday when Mimiko rounded off the Mega Eye Camp to mark his 100 days in office with 1,200 people smiling home with their sights restored, history was repeating itself.

Indeed, this much was stated by the Consultant Ophthalmologist and Head of the Department, Millennium Eye Centre, Dr (Mrs.) S.F Daramola when she enthused in her address at the occasion that: “Operating about 200 cataract patients free of charge and dispensing of over 1,000 pairs of glasses at a single programme is by all standard a mega outing and this can only be possible because, His Excellency, the original owner of the vision is running with the vision…”

Dr Daramola while disclosing that the operation was carried out by her team at the Centre and some visiting Consultants from St. Mary Catholic Hospital, Ago Iwoye in Ogun State led by Dr Yinka Ologunsua added that for two weeks, over 3000 patients were screened in all both in Akure and Okitipupa out of which the 200 patients were operated under the high-tech small incision cataract surgery. This, she added was a new and current innovation in Cataract surgery technology known as sutureless surgery and was carried out for the first time in Ondo State .

Her words: This is the first time this will be done in Ondo State . The Bible says in Habakkuk 2:2-3’ ‘… write the vision, and make it plain upon the tables that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end, it shall speak…’ The word of God is correct and true. The vision is now speaking loudly in the mouth of the Visioner, Dr Olusegun Mimiko.

“We want to thank Mr. Governor for putting Ondo State at the frontline of National Primary Health Care Delivery Programme of Nigeria by this feat.

Dr Daramola’s speech did not end without some demands from the State’s Chief Executive in order for the Millennium Eye Centre to perform optimally and meet the World Health Organization (WHO) standard.

In her words, the Centre was still at the level the Governor left it several years ago. “little has actually been added in terms of infrastructural development and that is why we are appealing to the Visioner to, as a matter of priority, help us implement the following:”

*Equip the Millennium Eye Centre to meet the WHO standard with the provision of autokeratometers, ultrasound scanning machines, mobile operating machines, stand-by generators and water supply

*Incorporation of the primary eye care into the State primary health care delivery programme with a supervisory department carved out for this from the Ministry of Health

*Provision of two utility four wheel drive vehicles for the Millennium Eye Centre which currently has none

* Further training of staff to improve their skills

* Motivate /give incentives to some category of staff as their counterparts in other departments in order to discourage exodus of the workforce

* Establishment of eye centres in Ikare, Owo, Ondo and Okitipupa to meet the Vision 20-20 of the WHO.

In his address, the State Health Commissioner, Dr Lawrence Adegbemiro described the exercise as a “celebration of deliverance from darkness brought about by visual impairment. He enthused that it was an evidence of Dr Olusegun Mimiko administration’s unrelenting efforts to get good and qualitative health care to the people of Ondo State

Joy as Dr Olusegun Mimiko, the Governor of Ondo State removes the bandages from the eyes of the beneficiary of the Mega Eye Camp

According to him, the programme was a manifestation of “the resolve of the administration of His Excellency, Dr Olusegun Mimiko to have a health sector that will attain an acceptable level of quality service that would enable the people of our State lead economically productive lives and thereby contribute to the meaningful development of the State.”

Adegbemiro stressed that the manifestation of this would “be unfolding as times goes on in the life of this administration while taking health care to the doorsteps of the people.”

For Dr Olusegun Mimiko, his brief remark was punctuated with loud ovations from the 1,200 patients who had just benefited from the exercise. He immediately acceded to the demands of the head of Department of the Millennium Eye Centre, Dr Daramola with the granting of their request for a utility vehicle. He also promised to look into other challenging needs of the Centre and make it the best in the region, saying that more doctors and other health workers would soon be recruited.

The Governor while appreciating God for the restoration of his Mandate despite seemingly insurmountable odds, noted that the Mega Eye Camp was a testimony that his administration has taken it upon itself to care for the people of the State

“Our mission, says Dr Mimiko, “which is to mobilize the people of Ondo State to harness all our God-given resources, create and use wealth for the ends of individual happiness, collective fulfillment and peaceful cohabitation in an environment of transparent and honest leadership, cannot be accomplished without a healthy population”.

Mimiko lamented that about 60,000 people in the State were suffering from cataract and promised that his administration would ensure that the problem was wiped out from the State by the end of his tenure. While explaining that disease had destroyed the economic potential of so many people many of whom had been turned into emergency beggars, the Governor stated that the State was ready to partner with corporate bodies, donor agencies and volunteers to wipe out the disease from the State and ensure that the people lead economically productive lives.

The Governor revealed that the present eye camp was the biggest of its kind since the inception of the programme in the State.

His words: “Considering the spread and the magnitude, we cannot compare it with any other eye camp that ever been conducted in the State, there was a wide geographical spread in the conduct of the exercise across the State to give it a wider coverage.

“While the screening done at the State Specialist Hospital Okitipupa covered the Ondo South Senatorial zone, the one done at the State Specialist Hospital , Akure gave access to people in the Ondo Central and North Senatorial zones.

“Today, through this programme, we have been able to remove one thousand; two hundred visually impaired people from darkness and put smiles on their faces. While 200 free cataract surgeries were done, 1000 eye glasses were distributed.”

While rejoicing with the beneficiaries of the programme, Dr Mimiko was full of praises and appreciation to the team of surgeons, optometrists, nurses, pharmacists, medical records officers and other health workers who participated in the operations for their commitment and tenacity.

The governor also enjoined the people of the State to continue to support his administration in its commitment to making the State a place of pride for all.

As the Governor moved round the patients to remove the final bandages from their eyes, the people could not contained themselves, while some knelt down in appreciation, others hugged the Governor, while others simply burst into tears of joy. It was a moving sight indeed.