No fewer than 44,000 people are queueing in Kano for free eye surgery organised by the Kano State Government in conjunction with UNICEF, CHAI and Sight boost Initiative Nigeria.

Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje said this on Sunday in Kano during the beginning of the exercise.

He said that the beneficiaries were selected from the 44 local government areas of the state.

“This programme is organised by the state government and we are targeting 44,000 vulnerable people to benefit from the gesture,’’ he said.

He said that blindness caused by eye cataract in the state was high before the intervention of the government.

“From the research conducted, we discovered that about 43 per cent of the people in the state were blind, due to eye cataract.

“And it is even the reason we started the programme to assist our people who cannot afford the payment of the surgery.”

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kabir Getso, commended the development partners for supporting the state in providing free eye treatment for the people.

He urged individuals and corporate organisations to emulate the joint effort.

He assured the people that the state government would continue to sustain the provision of medical care to them.

Mallam Saidu Ali, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked the government for the gesture.