Lessel, Benue State: In a bid to expand access to essential eye care services, the Menroi Rural Priority Foundation, in collaboration with the Mzehemen U Tiv Foundation and Eyelyte Vision Eye Clinic, attended to 56 patients through a medical outreach in Lessel, Ushongo Local Government Headquarters.
The 56 received free eye examinations, along with reading glasses, distance glasses, and prescription medications where necessary.
TNT understands that the medical outreach was organised in honor of Prof. Kohol Iornem’s birthday, turning the occassion of the 46 birth anniversary of the 2027 Kwande/Ushongo hopeful into an opportunity to serve the community and promote better eye health.
The organisers noted that the outreach comes at a time when Nigeria is facing a serious eye health crisis.
According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), an estimated 24 million Nigerians are living with vision loss, while 1.3 million people are blind. Additionally, more than 50 million Nigerians suffer from eye conditions that require basic eye care.
Despite this growing need, access to eye care remains limited for many citizens. The average cost of an eye examination in Nigeria ranges from ₦2,000 to as high as ₦100,000, depending on the clinic and the type of tests required. For many families, these costs are prohibitive, leaving eye conditions undiagnosed and untreated, which increases the risk of avoidable blindness.
Organisers explained that the goal of the Lessel outreach was to make quality eye care accessible to underserved communities, help detect eye problems early, and prevent avoidable blindness and other eye-related diseases.
In addition to eye care services, blood pressure (BP) checks were also conducted. The results revealed an alarming trend: about 96% of the patients examined had high blood pressure, while the remaining patients recorded very low blood pressure. The findings suggest a need for greater awareness and screening for hypertension, and the team recommended that BP checks be formally integrated into future medical outreaches.
Prof Kohol expressed appreciation to the medical and volunteer team that made the outreach possible. Special recognition was given to Optometrist Dr. Bernard Anyaokei, Menroi’s Director of Programmes Sophia Kwaghzan, as well as team members Samson, Msughter, Mary, Hon. Akor Ikyegh, Hon. Isaiah, and photographer Jenebu for their dedication and support.
The foundations reaffirmed their commitment to continuing community health interventions that address preventable conditions and improve access to essential healthcare services for rural populations.
