By: David Ejishie, MOI Officer reporting for Min. of Info & Orientation
Cross River State Ministry of Information and Orientation has expressed readiness to partner Cross River State Eye Care Programme in providing adequate eye care support services to residents in the State.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Comrade Asu Okang, who revealed this while receiving in audience in his office in Calabar, a medical team from the State Eye Care Programme Calabar, assured that the Ministry will utilize the services of its parastatals to give the project wide and adequate publicity.
‘Eye care is not seen as an important aspect of healthcare, many do not take care of their eyes. This has resulted to a rise in cases of glacauma, cateract and other eye defects and thus creating a medical void that has led many to the verge of blindness’, said Comrade Okang.
He noted that the outreach is a laudable project that should be embraced by all well meaning Cross Riverians and individuals, adding that there is a need to educate people on the need to take care of their eyes like every other part of their body to reduce the increasing cases of blindness due to eye disese that could be managed if discovered on time.
Comrade Okang commended the Management of the State Eye Care Programmeme for their selfless service to humanity, which he said is evident in the over 41,000 surgeries done and thousands of free glases given in the last twelve years.
The Information and Orientation Boss assured the team that the programme will be hugely publicized, given the on-going rebranding and re-equipping of the Ministry’s publicity outlets in line with the new Information order in the State.
He explained that with the rebranding of Cross River State Broadcasting Corporation to “CRBC Plus,’’ the soon to be launched New Nigerian Chronicle Online News Application, the newly installed Digital Printing Machine at the Government Printing Press, amongst others; the State Ministry of Information and Orientation is better placed to assist the programme drivers in realizing their mandate in the State.
Earlier, the Team Leader and Co-ordinator of the State Eye Care Programme, Dr. Stephen Agbor stated that the State Government is taking eye care services closer to the people with the setting up of Vision Centres in Ugep, Calabar, Ogoja, Yala and Obanliku Local Government areas, adding that the programme has been in existence in the State for over twenty years now.
He intimated that the Eye Care Programme which has helped to eliminate quacks from eye care services in the State, will be intensified in 2020, targeting rural communuities and the poor.
