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Lagos, Nigeria – Five children in Nigeria have regained their vision after a recent Cataract Surgical Mission organized by Rotary District 9110 Eye Hospital, Ota, Nigeria recently.
The mission, funded by UK-based philanthropists, supported the sight-restoring surgery for these five children suffering from cataracts. Rotarian Dr Yinka Osoba of the Rotary Club of Yeovil and Global Sight Solutions, a UK-based blindness prevention NGO, facilitated this critical life-changing mission.
Three children were born blind due to congenital cataracts, while two developed cataracts in one eye after injuries. These five successful surgeries required general anaesthesia.
Dr. Basirat Giwa, Secretary of the Rotary District 9110 Eye Hospital Charitable Trust explained, “We sought sponsors to reduce the backlog of children awaiting cataract surgery. There is a huge backlog of kids waiting for Cataract Surgeries in Public Hospitals because these facilities are usually overwhelmed with many children waiting for various surgeries, and this leaves their future uncertain.”
Dr. Giwa expressed optimism that this is the first of many “future interventions” to help restore sight and empower children on the verge of total blindness. Rotary District 9110 Eye Hospital, Ota, Nigeria seeks additional partners, including Rotarians, corporations, and public-spirited individuals, to expand its reach because early intervention is crucial for optimal vision outcomes in children.
“It is heartwarming that many organizations address adult cataracts, but pediatric cases are less common due to the need for anaesthesia and the scarcity of pediatric surgeons,” she added.
Expressing her joy, the parent of one of the children, Mrs. Uba said, “I would like to appreciate the sponsors, the medical personnel, and Rotary District 9110 who contributed to my child’s surgery. This intervention has lifted a great burden of many years off the shoulders of the family. The cataract had been there for over four years. Before the surgery, my son had difficulty seeing things around him and had to strain his eyes to see what was written on the board in school, but after the surgery, he came back from school smiling because he could see everything.”
Since its opening in December 2022, the Rotary District 9110 Eye Hospital has transformed countless lives. Over 2,000 individuals have benefited from affordable high-quality cataract surgery and 3,000 beneficiaries of glasses prescriptions and Glaucoma management. These have been made possible due to the availability of “state of the art” diagnostic, surgical, and IT equipment funded by a Global Grant, resulting from a partnership between local and international Rotary Clubs, via The Rotary Foundation. The equipment has enabled the Hospital to provide services at a significantly reduced cost to the beneficiaries.
