Mr Tunji Olawuyi, member representing Ekiti, Isin, Irepodun and Oke-Ero Federal Constituency of Kwara State has sponsored free eyes treatment of 150 students in his constituency.
A Corps Member, Dr. Chimnecherem Onyeachu, in-charge of the programme, told newsmen in Ilorin on Friday that the free eyes treatment sponsored by the federal lawmaker formed part of his Community Development Scheme (CDS).
Onyeachu told newsmen that the second segment of the event would hold on July 1, in Omu-Aran, headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, the programme involved funding of glasses and drugs for the 150 student beneficiaries.
“Subsequently, glasses and drugs will be dispensed. The charts will also be dispensed,” Onyeachu said.
He said CDS was one of the true heartbeats of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
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He explained that the in the simplest terms, visual impairment was a decreased ability to see to a degree that can cause the affected individual difficulty with normal daily activities such as driving, reading, socialising and walking.
Quoting WHO, he said that approximately 80 per cent of visual impairments globally were considered avoidable.
“In school aged children, refractive error is the commonest cause of visual impairments, especially in rural areas.
“In such rural areas, no measures are taken to reduce their burden in the community,” Onyeachu said.
Onyeachu explained that uncorrected refractive error can hamper performance at school, reduce employability, productivity and generally impair quality of life.
The medical practitioner was of the view that the screening of visual problems in children may improve future vision and education achievement.
“The eye plays a vital role in learning and thus would significantly affect the future of the individual,” Onyeachu added.
The aide of the lawmaker, Mr Abdulganiyu Salami, said one of the campaign promises of Olawuyi was to improve the health care of the people of his constituency.
He said when the proposal was brought before the lawmaker, he quickly keyed into it and did the needful to make the programme a success.
Salami described the lawmaker as an honest man, who would keep to all his campaign promises, and he sought for the understanding of his constituents to be patient as he would fulfill all his campaign promises gradually.
The lawmaker’s aide said that scheme would also cover students in schools in Ekiti, Isin and Oke-Ero local government areas.(NAN)
