No fewer than 500 people on Tuesday, in Ilorin, benefited from the free eye treatment programme  initiated by an aide to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, Alhaji Sulyman Olookoba.

The beneficiaries,  including children and some pregnant women, were drawn from various wards in the Ilorin Emirate.

While some  got free surgery, others  received free eye glasses while some others got free drugs for various ailments.

Olokooba, the Special Assistant to the Governor on  Sports, called on stakeholders  to focus more on the health needs of the people through donations of essential drugs and other materials.

He noted that most of the people who were blind were ignorant while others could not  combat it as a result of poverty.

An Assistant Director of Nursing in the Health Ministry,  Hajia Aishat Yusuf,  advised those with eye problems  to always seek medical treatment instead of resulting to self medication.

Yusuf urged the beneficiaries of the free eye programme to use drugs presented to them.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN)  expressed  gratitude to the sponsor of the programme and called on others to emulate him.