Organisation Conducts Free Eye Care for Drivers to Reduce Road Crashes
Wole Ayodele in Jalingo
In commemoration of the 2022 World Sight Day, Nobis Eye Centre has conducted free eye care outreach for commercial drivers in Jalingo in a bid to reduce road accidents.
Speaking with journalists during the outreach programme, Managing Director of Nobis Eye Centre Limited, Dr. Gideon Avar. said the hospital targeted drivers in the various motor parks in the state having established that most accidents are caused by drivers who have poor eyesight.
Avar maintained that the incidences of road accidents on the nation’s high would reduce drastically if drivers check their eyes frequently to address their sight problems.
“The theme of this year’s World Sight Day is ‘Love Your Eyes’. In Nigeria, we added inputs on it to become ‘Love Your Eyes; Saves Lives’ and that is why we are here at the motor park to treat the drivers to reduce the rate of accidents and deaths on our high ways.
“It is surprising that most drivers who come to the hospital don’t see properly and one begin to wonder how they manage to drive from point A to B.
“Most of the accidents on the roads are avoidable, if only drivers are checking their eyes frequently, and that is why we are here to screen their eyes, offer free treatment and create awareness on the need for regular eye check.
“We are overwhelmed with the crowd that came out for the programme. We therefore, call on Governor Darius Ishaku and other well spirited individuals to support us to address this health challenge,” he said.
Expressing gratitude to Nobis for conducting the outreach programme, the Taraba state Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Malam Musa Yahaya, thanked the management of the Eye Centre for the gesture and called on other organisations to carry out similar programmes for the good of society.
One of the beneficiaries, Alhaji Usman Useni who has 42 years driving experience thanked the management of Nobis for embarking on the programme and prayed God to continue to bless the organization.
In the same vein, other beneficiaries including Christian Eze, Inuwa Tukura and Hajiya Maryam Hamza equally expressed gratitude to the management of the Eye Centre for the conducting the programme.
According to Alhaji Usman Useni “I don’t see well at night, so I have stop night journey for for the past ten years. I have been a driver for the past 42 years and this is the first time an organisation has come to conduct free eye care services for drivers.
“I want to thank the organisation for taking this initiative because any driver who cannot see well is a disaster to himself, the passengers and other road users,” he stated.
