…As Me Cure offers free screening to 10, 000 Nigerians
A Consultant Ophthalmologist and Chief Operating Officer, Me Cure Eye Centre, Dr Adegboyega Alabi, has stated that blindness from glaucoma, an eye disease, is irreversible as he advised Nigerians to embrace early screening, which, according to him, was crucial owing to the poor knowledge and awareness about the disease among Nigerians.
He however disclosed that as part of the effort to kick out glaucoma from the country, Me Cure Healthcare Limited will be offering free glaucoma screening to 10,000 Nigerians to avoid irreversible blindness.
Adegboyega revealed that there were a lot of Nigerians who have the chronic disease but unaware that they have it due to no obvious symptoms . According to him, the screening is targeting such people that are carrying the disease about unknowingly, describing them as potential candidates for preventable blindness.
He noted that glaucoma is a silent killer and the second leading cause of preventable and avoidable blindness in Nigeria .
According to him, it is prevalent in people from 40 years and above as well as people with positive family history of glaucoma.
Addressing journalists in Lagos recently, the Ophthalmologist said the free screening was part of Me Cure’s Corporate Social Investment in promoting the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.
He added that the gesture which commenced on February 1st would last till 30th March 2019 and would be used to mark this year’s Glaucoma Week.
Glaucoma, Adegboyega said, is the eye disease that affects the optic nerve, a vital structure that connects the eye to the brain through which visual messages are transmitted like electric impulse to the brain for interpretation.
He stated that glaucoma gradually damages the fibres/strands of the nerve in an irreversible manner until blindness occurs if no intervention is undertaken.
Giving further insight into the dangers of neglecting glaucoma, he said, “ Glaucoma is an irreversible disease; blindness that ensues from it is irreversible. As I speak, there is no medical cure for it. So everyone should seize this opportunity and get screened. We are emphasising the importance of screening because 80 per cent of the patients that come to our centre, come in with advanced stage of the disease which is medically incurable. The blindness from glaucoma is preventable at the early stage but at the advanced stage it becomes incurable. That is why glaucoma is a silent killer whereby the carrier is unaware until the blindness of the eyes.”
He called on the government to make glaucoma medication available and at a subsidised rate for patients.
On his part, Group Head, Strategy & Commercial of Me Cure , Dr. Megbuwawon Adekunle, said the major aim of the free screening is to help Nigerians know their health status in terms of their eyes, especially those who cannot afford screening and treatment.
“We discovered that the prevention is much more cheaper than the cure. If you can get more Nigerians to know what their health status are in terms of their eyes, we would be able to prevent blindness and avoid blindness from glaucoma. We are stepping up our game, in the sense that not everyone can afford the screening. That is why we are giving a helping hand. People will get to know their status first, so that we can prevent the eye disease from causing irreversible damage, “ he said.
Adekunle stated that the screening would be done in stages of early detection, consultation and then treatment at a discounted rate by the eye centre . He assured that treatment would be discounted if glaucoma was found in an individual.
