Chinese Consulate Offers Free Eye Surgery, Cash in Edo

The Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Nigeria is offering free cataract screening, surgery and treatment for indigenes of Edo State, where the problem of cataract is said to be prevalent in Nigeria.

A total of 180 persons, including 120 adults and 20 children benefited from the service being done in conjunction with the Ophthalmology Department of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Edo State; Yongxing Steel Company in Benin, as well as Edo State Ministry of Health.

In addition to the free screening, treatment and surgery, the first 20 persons to register for the programme were given cash award of N100,000, as a pat on the back for believing in the project and being pathfinders.

According to a statement, at the flag off of the programme at UBTH, the Acting Consul General of People’s Republic of China in Nigeria, Mr. Jin Mingyu, said the government of China and its Embassy in Nigeria were delighted to be of help to indigent Nigerians through the free eye treatment. He pointed out that a number of Chinese companies are doing business in Edo State.

The eye-care programmes was another way of giving back to the community. He enjoined the people of Edo State to take advantage of the opportunity of the programme to improve their health. He pointed out that the Consulate-General would continue to offer programmes that would support the needs of Nigerians.

According to him, “the free surgery is meant to help people with medical needs. We realise that this will help Nigerians so we decided to sponsor the treatment. We are happy to sponsor this free surgery and I hope that Nigerians will take advantage of it.”

Also speaking Mr. Zhang Xianghai, Managing Director of Yongxing Steel Company, Benin, one of the supporters of the project, through the Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Frank Wong, expressed their delight to be part of the programme, noting that “it is important doing good business in an environment should also be doing doing for the people.” He pointed out that his company has continued to partner with Edo Statement Government and the people of Ogua Community where they are located to support in meeting the needs of the people.

In his opening remarks, Chief Medical Director of UBTH, Prof. Darlington Obaseki, praised the Consulate for assisting in alleviating the plight of the patients who would have had to look for other means to foot the bill for their screening and treatment. He expressed the hope that the gesture would not be short-lived. According to him, “this idea by the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China is a laudable one and it is coming at a time when patients need it most. The economic situation is tough and this gesture will provide succour for many people in the UBTH. “I commend the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China for these gestures and hope that it is not a one-off. The management of the UBTH is also ready to partner with the sponsor on programmes like this.”

In her own remarks, the Head of the Ophthalmology Department, Dr.  Valentina Okeigbemen, said  “We have a target to do a minimum of 120 cataract surgeries, 100 adult surgeries and 20 surgeries in children. We commenced screening on Wednesday, November 6 and have screened 30 people so far. Screening continues today. The department has been rendering service to the citizens of Edo State and its environs by carrying out subsidised cataract surgeries in adult patients every quarter.

“However, this programme is unique and the first of its kind, because first, cataract surgery will be performed on a minimum of 20 children and secondly, the cataract surgery in adults will be fully sponsored. When we say fully sponsored, it means the surgery fee and drugs for the adults have been paid for, while the surgery fees, investigations, admission and drugs for the children have been taken care of.

“This is quite commendable of the Chinese Consulate General and the Yongxing Steel Company Limited in their desire to contribute to the reduction of blindness in Edo State, particularly among the underprivileged.”

In his own address, the Permanent Secretary, Edo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Stanley Ehiarimwiam, observed that cataract constitutes about 51 per cent of eye challenges in Nigeria and Edo State is one of the endemic areas of the ailment. He therefore commended the consulate for the initiative and expressed the preparedness of Edo Statement Government in partnering with the consulate and other entities who have good programmes for the people of Edo State. He pointed out that the government had partnered with Yongxing Steel in the past and commended them for their corporate social responsibility and community relations efforts.

The programme would last for four days, within which many patients would be screened and treated, while surgeries would be conducted on 120.

The flag-off also witnessed testimonial from an individual who had already benefitted from the surgery in the first phase, where 60 persons benefitted.