General News
DR Chukwunazor Okafor, a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC), on Wednesday organised free medical treatment and eye screening for pensioners and other senior citizens in the nation’s capital.
Okafor, while delivering her remark in a brief ceremony to begin the medical treatment, explained that the measure was aimed at promoting their eye sight and to help the pensioners perform optimally in their day to day activities even after retirement.
She stressed that eye sight was among most sensitive senses in the human body as approximately 80 per cent of what the body perceives come through the sense of sight, hence the importance of protecting the eyes.
Okafor said that the free medical treatment was part of her humanitarian service to the country and to show care to the less privileged and the pensioners.
She emphasised the need for more people to get involved in providing eye care to the pensioners and also see more people giving importance in seeking care to their eye so as to avoid blindness among people.
“This medical outreach is to bring sensitisation to your door step for all of you to adopt habit of preventing measures and observe regular checks of the eyes.
“There is already growing concerns on not detecting age related pathologies for the elderly, when this lingers for long, could lead to visual impairment later in life.
” I recommend regular checks of the eye as an important habit of paying attention to the eye considering the fact that vision and insight are not same, vision has to do with the eyes both working together with the brain while sight is just seeing without making exact detail of what is seen.”
Earlier, Mrs Elisha Dia, the Zonal Inspector, Zonal Office, NYSC FCT Secretariat, said the outreach attested to one of the cardinal aspects of the NYSC where Corps members “are encouraged to give back to the society for national development’’.
Represented by an Assistant Chief Inspector at the Secretariat, Mrs Mary Magani, Dia, Okafor, while alluding to a verse of the National anthem, said “the labour of our heroes past does not go in vain’’.
Also, the General-Secretary, Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) Mr Actor Zal, who stood in for the president of the Union, described the initiative as historic as such gesture had been extended to the old citizens in through the NUP since its establishment.
Zal encouraged other corps member and other well-meaning Nigerians to impact on the lives of senior citizens who had worked and served the country meritoriously.
Similarly, the President of Helpline Foundation for the Needy Abuja, an NGO, Dr Jumai Ahmadu, applauded Okafor and her team of medical practitioner for the courage and service to humanity.
Ahmadu, who was represented by Damaris Yakubu, Assistant Programme Officer of the NGO, called on the beneficiaries to prioritise their health particularly their eyes.
“It is important to know the role of vision and sights in the performance throughout life even after retirement.
“Hence all persons present here are urged to take home the message that they should endeavour to make themselves available in a health facility within their reach to undergo periodic eye check/screening.
“This is one of the sure ways to retain functioning and good eye sight throughout life.”
The outreach with theme, “Perfect vision and sights for efficient performance throughout life” include the provision of free vision screening, blood sugar screening, general health talk, distribution of food items, toiletries, cloths and more. (NAN)
A.I
Tags: Dr Chukwunazor Okafor National Youth Service Corps
