By Stephen Oni

Leah Charity Foundation, pet project of Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed, wife of Kwara State Governor, has assisted in restoring sight to 100 people and commenced registration of another batch of 100 for 2013

When the Clinic-On-Wheels, one of the programmes of Leah Charity Foundation, a pet project of Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed, wife of the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, was launched in November 2011 at Baboko in Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state, it set as its target for 2012, restorng the sight of 100 people. Clinic-On-Wheels is a mobile clinic that takes health-care delivery to people, particularly at the grassroots, who could not access the orthodox medical care system owing to ignorance or financial constraint. Two ambulances, usually accompanied by qualified health personnel, drugs and diagnostic equipment to carry out minor tests, are deployed for the scheme which has traversed the three senatorial districts of the state.

In the course of tests conducted during the programme’s outings, minor ailments such as malaria and minor eye problems were reportedly treated, while referrals were made to the Specialist Hospital, Sobi, Ilorin, for those with serious eye problems that would require surgical operation. The costs of all these were borne by the Leah Charity Foundation in collaboration with the Sight Savers International and Avenue for Wealth, a Lagos-based company.

While briefing the press in Ilorin, Mrs. Ahmed marvelled at discoveries made during such tours, wondering how a minor defect could be left to become a big issue that could permanently impair sight due to ignorance or lack of fund. Moved by the pitiable situation, she ordered the immediate commencement of registration of all eye surgical cases. At the end, 100 patients with cataract-related cases, comprising 48 children and 52 adults, were registered and successfully operated upon at the end of 2012. She added that collation of names for the next batch of 100 in 2013 is on. Mrs. Ahmed made a clarion call to the people to embrace the programme rather than silently killing themselves as a result of lack of money or ignorance. Most blindness, she said, can be traced to cataract, which can be operated to restore normal sight.

With the commencement of registration for another batch, Mrs. Ahmed appealed to well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies to partner her foundation in the project. With no budget from government, she said, she said she has been going about looking for donors to ensure that the charity work the foundation is doing does not stop. Other charity works the foundation is embarking on are in the areas of social welfare and education.

Stephen Oni writes from Ilorin