Sen. Aliyu-Wamakko

No fewer than 406 persons suffering from various eye ailments were treated in Sabon Birni and Isa local government areas of Sokoto State under the free eye care programme of Sen. Aliyu Wamakkko (APC- Sokoto).

This eas announced in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Bashir Mani, in Sokoto on Saturday.

Mani reported Wamakko’s Director of Administration, Alhaji Al-Mustapha Alkali, as saying that, 181 and 225 persons were treated in Sabon-Birni and Isa local governments.

Alhaji Alkali expressed happiness that the exercise was recording huge successes, saying, ” this is very heart warming .”

The media aide added that Wamakko had, on Thursday, started the free medical outreach at Sabon birni town, headquarters of Sabin birni Local Government.

According to him, the programme targets 3,150 persons suffering from various eye ailments, in 19 local governments across the three Senatorial Districts of the state.

He said the outreach was being conducted by Dr Emmanuel Aghalu and and Dr John Uzomah, Optometrists working for Awawu Obasi Eye Foundation.

He further said that the areas of treatment included refractive errors with eye glasses, infections like conjunctivitis, as well as uveitis.

Mani explained that the gesture was aimed at alleviating the suffering of the indigent people of the state, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.

He reported Dr Emmanuel Aghalu as saying that the commonest ailments in the area were cataract and pesbyopia, which is age-related.

The District Heads of Sabon-Birni and Unguwar Lalle, Alhaji Isa Bawa and Alhaji Haruna Mainasara, also commended Wamakko for assisting the people of the state.

The traditional rulers urged other wealthy individuals, elected and appointed officials to emulate such gesture, to further alleviate the suffering of the people.

The first phase of the programme conducted between July and August 2017, in the eight local governments under the Sokoto North Senatorial District, covered no fewer than 1,300 eye patients.