By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka
An NGO, Tropical Gates Foundation for Sustainable Development (TGFSD), has provided free eye surgeries, eyeglasses and drugs for about 5,000 residents of Ames, Aguata Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State.
The beneficiaries, who included the elderly, the youth and pregnant women, were treated during a three-day medical outreach organised by TGFSD in collaboration with the Salvation Army Church.
Founder, TGFSD, Mr Nnamdi Mbaigbo, at the end of the programme yesterday, said the medical outreach was part of the foundation’s way of giving hope and touching people’s lives in the state. “Our objective is to ensure patients who cannot afford the cost of having their eyes treated and restored are given attention.
“Our team goes to communities to conduct free eye screening and bring them to designated hospitals for surgery. For those who did not require surgery, we gave them eyeglasses and drugs to help improve their sight.”
According to him, “Some patients were also diagnosed, counselled and provided with free drugs to manage hypertension, diabetes, malaria, typhoid fever, HIV/AIDS and other ailments.
“This is to complement the government’s efforts in the provision of healthcare for Nigerians.”
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Mbaigbo added that the foundation also constructed perimeter fences across selected schools in the state to ensure the safety and security of students.
He said they carried out youth empowerment and skill development schemes through training, scholarships and sporting activities for social integration and human capacity building.
Also speaking, Head of Strategic Planning, TGFSD, Mr Obiora Agbasiere, said the exercise was geared towards improving the medical and social lives of the people.
“What we are doing is not out of place because God gave the doctors knowledge through science to discover medicine and through that avenue, bring healing to the people,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, a 72-year-old Pa John Obiesie, commended the organisers of the free medical outreach and called for more of such programmes to promote healthy living.
“May God continues to bless him with wisdom and prosperity because he decided to extend the blessing God showered on him to the poor and needy in the communities,” he said.
