LEADERSHIP reported that an eye specialist, Dr Ibrahim Yusuf Bakale, attested Glaucoma was the leading cause of irreversible blindness, among most of the visually impaired patients, stating that if checks are done frequently and detected at an early stage, it saves the eyes from the silent eye killer glaucoma.
Therefore, Bakale of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, “8 out of 100 aged 40 and above have glaucoma.” Dr Bakale, during a health talk in a free eye clinic screening exercise conducted for journalists by the NUJ Sokoto State Council and UDUTH to mark the World Glaucoma Day, noted that, “one should adopt the habit of regular check to enable early detection of his or her eyes health status.”.
“Research had determined that lack of knowledge and complacency on the silent eye killer disease, not showing up for regular check-ups, misuse or use of unadvised drugs were some of the things responsible for glaucoma.”
“Early detection and regular check-ups are the only way to save people’s vision,” he went on while enumerating among other diseases which are linked to or predispose one to glaucoma as diabetes and hypertension.”
Dr Bakale bemoaned that 50% of the patients presented only after one of the eyes had gone blind, while 90% did not even know that they had glaucoma and 20% had two of the eyes totally blind.
Earlier, the NUJ Sokoto State Council Chairman, Usman Muhamed Binji, had disclosed that the arrangement was part of further promoting good working harmony and providing opportunity for members of the union to take an assessment of their eye health condition in order to maintain their fitness and well-being since their eyesight was an equally very important, sensitive and vital organ that moves the profession.
I wish to make an impassioned plea to the staff of doctors and their administrative personnel to take the exercise into a regular activity and not sporadically once a year,” Binji stressed. No fewer than 60 working journalists were noted to visit the clinic and received spectacles besides advice.
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