Posted by By Odita Sunday on
IN a dramatic expression of a pledge to bring succour to his people, Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the weekend offered his eyes to be donated to the state's eye bank after his death.
IN a dramatic expression of a pledge to bring succour to his people, Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the weekend offered his eyes to be donated to the state's eye bank after his death.
The governor made the offer in a letter commending a medical team for restoring the sight of five blind persons.
In a letter to the team, comprising surgeons from the state and India, the governor said he is proud the state has been able to score yet another feat in its drive towards excellence and creativity in solving the problems of the people.
"This indeed is a miracle and Lagos has now become a miracle state," he stated.
Lagos State Ministry of Health facilitated the surgery that made it possible for the five persons blinded through injury to the cornea - the film covering the iris - to see again.
The five beneficiaries - Nsikan Emah, Dorcas Johnson, Remi Owolu, Mama Ajoke and Cecilia Michael with and their families were enthusiastic as they regained sight.
The operation was carried out through a medical technique called corneal transplant surgery that involves transplant of eyes from a deceased donor to the patient with injury to the cornea.
A team of experts from India and officers from the service of the Lagos State Government performed the corneal transplant, the first to be undertaken at any state-owned hospital in Nigeria.
The surgery was also facilitated by Rotary International in collaboration with the state government.
In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Leke Pitan explained that the programme was basically targeted at the poor, stressing that the service was free and meant to alleviate the sufferings of the people and give hope for the hopeless in the society.
Pitan noted that the programme would be a continuous one that would form part of the state's blindness prevention programme.
The commissioner further said the state would soon begin retinal surgery to meet the needs of patients, noting that arrangements were on ground to send doctors and nurses to India for additional training to meet necessary challenges.
He also announced plans to set up an eye bank, similar to the popular blood bank, to facilitate the corneal transplant programme.
One of the Indian surgeon who participated in the surgery, Prof Bharti Lavinga, stated that cornea transplant is a major development in the eradication of blindness in any country, stressing that the major causes of corneal damage are trauma, infection, chemical burns and other diseases of the corneal, which could be corrected through corneal transplant surgery.
Lavingia disclosed that through the corneal transplant surgery within eight hours, the eyes of a dead person could be useful to somebody whose eyes had been damaged. He also called on Nigerians to develop the culture of donating their eyes after death so that the living could make good use of them.
The beneficiaries thanked the governor for bringing succour to them through the blindness prevention programme in collaboration with Rotary International and the Indian community.
One of them, Nsikak Emah, from Akwa Ibom State said: "I still cannot believe that this can happen. I have gone to many churches and my hopes were dashed. I thank Asiwaju Tinubu for making it possible for me to see again. He is a miracle Governor."