By: ‘Sina ODUNTAN
Published, Thursday, November 16, 2023
OLUSEGUN OBASANJO FOUNDATION (OOF) has offered free medical aids to at least 3000 Nigerians for diabetes, eye glasses and surgeries to mark this year World Diabetes Day.
The free medical outreach which commenced on Monday attracted thousand Nigerians to the Amphitheatre venue at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, OOPL. On the first day, Monday, nearly 1000 Nigerians of all ages and sex were offered free diabetes and eye screenings, free drugs and counselling.
The wife of the former President, Chief Mrs. Bola Obasanjo, visiting the venue on Tuesday, calls on government and other public spirited organisations to intensify campaigns for early detection of diabetes and eye diseases to make treatment simple and manageable.
Given the example of early detection, Mrs. Obasanjo presented a beneficiary of OOF’s free eye surgery, 14 year-old Ester Junior who’s living with her grandmother in Abeokuta. According to her the teenager was brought to the annual OOF medical outreach to mark the 2022 World Diabetes Day almost totally blind. OOF took up her case and continued her medication until her sights were restored.
Mrs. Bola Obasanjo pledged that Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation would continue to reach out to all Nigerians by giving free medical aids to prevent, treat and manage diabetes and eye diseases as well as run campaigns to educate Nigerians that diabetes needs not kill.
Speaking to our reporter, Dr. Olalekan Makinde, the Executive Secretary of Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation said on the first day of the free medical outreach nearly 1,000 people were attended to and by second day the attendance had increased that made the staff to work from 8 O’clock in the morning till 6 O’ clock in the evening.
Dr Makinde said OOF included free eye screening and surgery in addition to the free diabetes screening, counselling and survival tips to those who test positive to the disease, because of the high prevalence of people suffering from eye diseases, adding that the foundation has distributed more than 2,000 eye glasses to correct and prevent eye problems.
He also said the medical team of experts was compiling patients suffering from glaucoma and other serious eye ailments needing surgery, saying at the end of the outreach programme they would receive surgery to correct their sights free of charge.
The Foundation, according to the Executive Secretary, would end the 5-day long free medical outreach marking this year World Diabetes Day with the finals of Squash competition, the favourite game of the Founder/Chairman Board of Trustees, Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The final of the competition, which’s in both junior and senior categories, would be attended by President Obasanjo at the Squash court of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) today, Friday in the afternoon.
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