The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Foundation (NNPC Foundation) recently held a two-day free cataract extraction surgeries in Lagos, tagged “Come and Have your Sight Restored”.

The Team Lead of the Medical outreach, Dr. Bolanle Balogun said that the programmewas in fulfillment of the desire to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians by restoring their sight through NNPC’s commitment to corporate social responsibility.

She disclosed that about 150 cataract extraction surgeries were successfully performed in Lagos with similar exercises in Abeokuta, and other parts of Southwest. He assured that the foundation is determined to reach as many as it could through the outreach.

According to her,”As people are ageing, vision begins to deteriorate. Unfortunately, many people cannot afford to pay for the cost of treatment.”Balogun, a consultant, stressed the need for the government to ensure people have access to eye care.

Balogun appealed to the government to heavily subsidise the cost of surgery and eyeglasses to help more people suffering from cataract. One of the beneficiaries, Alhaji WasiuOyebanji,a 76-year old man, was excited that help finally came his way after suffering from cataract for over two decades without having the finance to pay for the surgery.

Another beneficiary, Samson Oluwole commended the NNPC Foundation for the humanitarian gesture. He implored other corporate bodies to commit to such exercise for more Nigerians to benefit from such gestures.

On her part, Mrs.Omolara Folashade expressed hope that the NNPC Foundation would sustain the free medical outreach saying that it was a call to action on government to prioritise the health of the citizenry.