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Rotary Club hands over $250,000 surgery equipment to foundation

By Isaac Taiwo
01 July 2021   |   1:37 am
Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove Estate has handed over modern surgical equipment worth $250,000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars) to Indo Eye Foundation, the caretaker of the biggest Eye Hospital ...

Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove Estate has handed over modern surgical equipment worth $250,000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars) to Indo Eye Foundation, the caretaker of the biggest Eye Hospital in Africa to carry out cataract surgery in Nigeria.

At the event which took place in the Eye hospital located along Murtala Mohammed International Airport, the President of the Club, Chandra Nalode handed over the equipment to the Project Manager, Indo Eye Foundation, Rotarian Mukesh Bhatt. The surgical equipment was procured with Rotary Global Grant with the support of Rotary Club of Singapore, Rotary District 9110, Rotary District 3310, Rotary District 3110 and Rotary District 1175.

“Cataract used to be a problem for elderly people, but surprisingly, small children today are now becoming victims.

“With this hospital put up by Indo Eye Foundation and with the modern eye surgery equipment handed over to the Foundation, Nigerians can now smile as full blown surgery, everything being equal, will commence in August in this hospital when any victim of cataract can walk in here and have the operation performed free” she said.

Nalode said that the annual cataract eye surgery was skipped last year due to Covid-19 pandemic while the Eye hospital was used as isolation centre by the government.

She disclosed that this year’s surgery has already begun in Kano with a target of 800 beneficiaries while Lagos segment has been scheduled for August with a target of 1,000 victims for free surgery, making a total of 1,800 beneficiaries this year, adding that instead of carrying out the surgery at General Hospital, Marina as usual, it would likely take place in the Eye hospital.
She advised victims of cataract to avoid any situation that could lead to high blood pressure and have good diet.

District Governor, District 9110 (Lagos & Ogun States), Rotarian Bola Oyebade who was represented by the District Secretary, Rot. Muftau Adelotan lauded effort of Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove Estate, Rotary Club of Singapore and those Districts that made the global grant possible to procure the medical equipment and expressed the hope that cataract victims would be treated promptly as soon as the hospital begins full operation.

Bhatt who received the equipment on behalf of Indo Eye Foundation gave kudos to members of Indian Community that put up the hospital through Indo Eye Foundation.

He assured that when the hospital will be operational in August, Nigerians irrespective of age, religion, among others without any restriction could walk into the hospital any time and get their surgery performed. He asked patients to eat healthy food, take vitamin A and wear dark glasses in the sun.

Coordinator, Mission for Vision, Past Assistant Governor, District 9110, Rotarian Femi Adenekan said Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove Estate had carried out between 4,000 and 5,000 free surgeries in Nigeria for the less privilege and with this facility now in place, more free surgeries would be carried out.

Past Assistant Governor and past President, Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove Estate, Rotarian Ramesh Biswal disclosed that the grant of 250,000 dollars was given to procure the surgical equipment which would give room to more than 10,000 cataract victims in Nigeria to have free surgery every year.

Dr. Adebanke Odunsi who represented the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, gave kudos to Rotary International, District 9110, Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove Estate as well as Indo Eye Foundation for making the hospital available as an isolation centre last year during the scourge of Covid-19 pandemic, adding that she looked forward to more surgeries to be carried out in the hospital, more-so that modern medical equipment had been procured and handed over to the management of the hospital, coupled with qualified medical personnel on ground. She gave appreciated them for their magnanimity to the less privilege.

Eye Surgeon and Optamologist, Chairman, the District Save Our Sight Committee for Blindness Prevention, Dr. Basirat Giwa said the project would be managed by board of Trustees of Indo Eye Foundation with members of Rotary Club of Palmgrove Estate as members to monitor the usage of the equipment.
At the event were the Project Chair and Club Secretary, Rotarian Kunal Sanghvi and others.

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