500 cataract patients regain sight after free surgeries in Kano

No fewer than 500 residents of Kano State suffering from cataracts have regained their sight after undergoing free surgeries provided by the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria (OSN).

The procedures were carried out at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) as part of OSN’s community outreach programme, held alongside its 49th National Scientific Conference in the state.

Cataract is an eye condition that clouds the lens, preventing light from focusing on the retina and causing blurry or hazy vision.

Speaking on the initiative, Dr. Umar Faruk Ibrahim, Consultant Ophthalmologist and Chairman of the Conference Local Organising Committee (LOC), said the outreach was aimed at reducing the high prevalence of cataract-induced blindness in the country.

“Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness globally. If operated on, the condition is cured permanently, unlike glaucoma which cannot be reversed,” he explained.

Quoting findings from a national survey, Dr. Ibrahim said cataracts account for nearly 50 per cent of blindness cases in Nigeria, especially among people over 40 years old.

“As part of our social responsibility, we conduct outreaches like this. Today and tomorrow, surgeries are taking place at both AKTH and Murtala Specialists Hospital,” he added.

Beyond the surgeries, Dr. Ibrahim noted that the scientific conference, themed Ophthalmic Education and Training, will provide a platform for knowledge exchange among eye care professionals from Nigeria and abroad.

Also speaking, Project Manager of AHM Foundation, Muhammad Nasir Musa, said the foundation supported the outreach with consumables worth millions of naira and pledged continued collaboration with OSN to extend similar interventions to 26 states.