Family sponsors free treatment of 500 eye patients in Sokoto

By Ado Hassan, Sokoto
NO fewer than 500 eye patients at the weekend benefitted from free treatment sponsored by the Balarabe Goronyo family,  domiciled at the Galadanchi area of Sokoto metropolis.
The one-day free medical outreach is aimed at alleviating the health challenges of the numerous residents in the area and other adjoining communities .
The Lead Surgeon of the medical team conducting the outreach, Mr Tanimu Muhammad said the common ailments found at the exercise include conjunctivitis and cataract mostly caused by aging , as well as congenital reasons
Muhammad said adequate drugs, medicament and glasses have been stocked, to be provided to the beneficiaries .
Accordingnly, arrangements had been made to refer cataract patients requiring surgeries to the State Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, while the costs would be borne by the sponsors.
While attributing most of the eye ailments to aging, Muhammad lamented that, some were caused by drugs abuse, especially steroids, he stressed the need for regular medical check ups by Nigerians 
However, spokesman of the family, Alhaji Halliru Balarabe said the gesture was aimed at extending their widow’s mite to their neighbors,  who are less privileged
Though, Halliru lamented that, more than sixty per cent of the residents of the targeted communities were facing myriad of eye ailments, while majority of them are less privileged.
He appealed to the wealthy persons to emulate the Balarabe Goronyo family, with a view to further reducing the eye ailments pandemic in the society.
A 12-year old member of the family, who is also a JSS 1 student , Miss Aisha Zayyanu, expressed delight that, the free medical treatment would help to restore the sights of most of her colleagues, who were hitherto plagued by some eye problems.
” This is a good omen as the happy development would bolster the educational progress of the students,” she added.
Also, Village Head of the area , Alhaji Muhammad Bello Sodangi lauded the members of the family for the unprecedented, unparalleled gesture and appealed to other welathy individuals to emulate them.
Meanwhile, a cross section of the beneficiaries commended the family for the gesture and urged other privileged members of the society to routinely sponsor such free medical outreaches .
Those who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries included an octonogerian,  Alhaji Umaru Shehu, a 78-year old Hajiya Kulu Biro and a student , Zayyanu Hassan.