In a significant move aimed at enhancing healthcare services, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has announced plans to transform one of the state’s general hospitals into a specialized center for eye care.
The Focus On Eye care Service
Speaking at the fourth Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Africa Retina Society in Lagos, Abayomi outlined the state government’s commitment to establish a dedicated facility focused on providing comprehensive eye care services.
This initiative, themed ‘Upscaling Retinal Services in a Resource-Constrained Economy,’ underscores the state’s vision to offer world-class diagnostic, medical, surgical, and ophthalmic treatments, not only within Lagos but across Nigeria.
He emphasized the state’s commitment to prioritizing eye health, highlighting ongoing efforts to enhance the screening capabilities of all primary healthcare facilities.
Early Eye Disease Detection
This initiative aims to detect eye diseases at early stages, ensuring timely intervention and improved health outcomes for residents of Lagos State.
“The conditions that affect the eyes very much reflect the conditions of the community in which you live.
“HIV, for example, was a major problem in South Africa, and I certainly experienced the impact of HIV on our day-to-day medicine and practice.
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“Here in Nigeria, we have other things. We have hypertension, diabetes, sickle cell, and lots of trauma. These are the kinds of things that we see in our clinics here in Lagos and in Nigeria.
“We need to be able to understand how these prevailing conditions really affect us,” he said.
Eye care And Screening
The commissioner also highlighted ongoing efforts to promote widespread eye screening, particularly within schools, starting with the training of teachers to identify students experiencing vision difficulties.
Furthermore, he outlined plans to utilize social health insurance to facilitate screening, detection, and treatment of eye diseases for patients visiting health facilities.
In addition, the commissioner emphasized the state’s commitment to enhancing public awareness and knowledge regarding eye health.
Also focusing particularly on conditions like glaucoma and visual acuity.
Abayomi revealed that the Lagos State Ministry of Health had established a partnership with the Chagoury Group to develop a specialized eye hospital in Lagos.
It aimed at expanding access to high-quality eye care services across the state.
He acknowledged the equipment-intensive nature of ophthalmology, emphasizing the government’s commitment to enhancing both infrastructure and human resources.
This support aims to enable practitioners to accurately diagnose and treat conditions, thereby reducing the need for medical tourism.
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