jamal 
BY ARILEJOLA OJO FEMI
The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in collaboration with “Friends of LASUTH”, in giving back to the society has reached out to the Ojokoro area of the state by providing free cataract surgery to residents of the community.
The free Cataract Surgery was an offshoot of a free medical outreach the hospital held earlier in the year. During the outreach, over 500 beneficiaries were screened and 48 people were diagnosed with cataract. Subsequently, they were scheduled for free cataract surgery at LASUTH. This effort is aimed at improving the quality of life of Ojokoro residents, under the leadership of the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwoolu and his Deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, in line with the THEMES agenda of the Governor.
The Chief Medical Director, Professor Adetokunbo O. Fabamwo, during his welcome address noted that LASUTH was setup to offer advanced medical care and over the years, the government of Lagos State had invested a lot of funds in LASUTH, in order to achieve this vision. He said the financial investment became more exponential in the last four years of Governor Babajide Sanwoolu. Mr Governor has shown exceptional interest in the growth and development of the hospital, he also approved the recruitment of the requisite specialised personnel.
The CMD further stated that the objective behind organizing the free cataract surgery programme is the need to give back to the society. He explained that the hospital management deliberately chose eye disorders among other conditions because cataract is one of the main causes of blindness.
The Head of Ophthalmology Department, LASUTH, Dr. Rosemary Ngwu said the essence of the surgery is to complete the medical process the hospital started in February. She said cataract is one of the causes of blindness if left untreated. She emphasized that regular eye screening is one of the ways to curb the disease.
She also noted that the beneficiaries expressed their excitement at being chosen for the surgery which is at no cost and they are particularly grateful to Mr. Governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu, for empowering LASUTH to carry out the surgeries.
One of the beneficiaries, Alhaji Akanji Adetunji appreciated the efforts of the Lagos State Government and the Management of LASUTH. He said, “the focus on healthcare in the state has improved and I am fortunate to be a beneficiary.” He implored the government and LASUTH Management not to rest on its oars as more people all over the metropolis still need access to better healthcare.
