Saudi Arabia launches campaign to treat blindness in Nigeria

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said it has launched a Volunteer Medical Campaign to treat Blindness and its Causes in Nigeria
This was contained in a statement signed by the Ambassador of the kingdom to Nigeria Adnan Bostaji and made available to the media in Kaduna yesterday.
The statement added that the campaign is funded by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in collaboration with Al Basar International Foundation and will help to combat eye problems and treat eye patients.
The statement further Stated that the move is a i contribution to treating eye patients an finding succour to eye problems in the Nigerian society .
“The campaign’s first stage comprises of eye patients in Ibadan ( Oyo State), and in Lafiya (Nasarawa State), and it is coordinated with the local government authorities in the states.
“The campaign will continue until the end of October, the current month.
“The campaign aims at detecting and diagnosing the problems of eye patients by consultants and surgeons in order to give them the necessary treatment and to do surgery to remove cataract and glaucoma for those in need of the surgery, as well as do other minor surgical operations and offer them medicine and medical glasses.
“More than twenty (20) persons work in this campaign, comprising of consultants, technicians assistants, and a number of volunteers.
“On the first day of the campaign, a great number of Nigerian citizens who came to the campaign’s post in the city of Ibadan were actually examined and diagnosed.
“Most of them were found to have sight weakness or disorders, and the necessary treatment was given to them. The approval has also been made to perform five hundred (500) surgical operations in the coming days in order to remove cataract and glaucoma.
“This campaign proceeds from the leading humanitarian role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in terms of humanitarian and relief aid in various countries of the world, as well as the interest of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud, and his trustworthy Crown Prince, Muhammad bin Salman, in enhancing humanitarian work in all fields and in offering aid to friendly countries.