Daewoo Sponsors Surgery for 100 cataract patient in Partnership with Vision Care team from South Korea and LASUTH

Daewoo sponsors free eyes cataract surgery to 100 patients in partnership with The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and Vision Care team from South Korea.

This was disclosed by the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo.

The CMD, who disclosed this at a tripartite signing ceremony, identified the partners as: Vision Care team from South Korea to provide technical supports, while Daewoo E&C would provide the funding for the surgeries.

According to him, the Vision Care team had been visiting the hospital for last 10 years and had transferred their skills to personnel of the hospital.

Fabamwo said: “For the first time, the surgery will be done by our personnel; in previous years the Vision care team had been performing the surgery while our own personnel observed.

“In the last three weeks, we have carried out screening and have selected eligible patients for the exercise.

Adekoya said that cataract was the leading cause of blindness in the country, adding that one million people were estimated to be affected with blindness among the populace.

She added that cataracts represented 43 per cent of cases of blindness in the country.

She said: “The good thing is that cataract is treatable, to prevent avoidable blindness, however, many Nigerians stay away from the surgery, probably due to the financial implications.

“This is a good opportunity for such people to benefit from this intervention.”

The ophthalmologist said that beyond the operations, post-surgical care would be provided to the patients for three months or more and would also be given free drugs.

Adekoya identified glaucoma as another common eye disease that had been causing injury and infections and advised for regular eye screening and the use of protective glasses to prevent eye injury.

She said that diabetes retinopathy was another cause of emerging blindness in Nigeria and advised citizens to avoid sedentary lifestyles and maintain healthy diets.

Commenting, Yeon Jung, Executive Director, Daewoo E&C Nigeria, said the sponsorship of the cataract surgery was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility programme.

Jung said the firm had partnered with Vision Care to provide free cataract surgeries not only in Nigeria, but in some other countries to reverse avoidable blindness.