
The International Association of Lions Club, District 4 and 5, has said that it was targeting 9,000 residents of Cross River in its on going free eye care campaign under the theme “love your eyes.”
The campaign, which was in commemoration of the 2021 World Sight Day, holds in three centres in Calabar and other centres in Akamkpa Local Government Area.
In an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday, one of the club’s officials, Mr. Embiet Bassey, said that they had noticed the increasing cases of eye problems and so decided to create awareness and treat those they could treat.
Bassey asserted that the ongoing campaign was addressing patients with glaucoma, cataract and other eye problems, using experts on ground to ensure that both screening and treatments were effectively carried out.
“In 1929 a certain blind woman, Helen Keller, challenged the Lions Club at its International Convention in Canada, that the club should become a light for the blind, that is why today is a special day for the club.
“Although the highest number we have attended to in a single day is 1400 people in our previous campaigns, today, our target is 3,000 people in each of the centres in Calabar, he said.
He appreciated the Government of Cross River for providing the club with venues in its Primary Healthcare Centres and opticians in the state, who partnered with the club.
Bassey, however, appealed for the establishment of more eye centres in the state capital, to enable the club provide assistance to more members of the society with eye issues.
“We have a partnership with the opticians in the state, but we appeal that more eye centres be created in Calabar so that more members of the society could be reached. (NAN)