Constituents of Kware/Wamakko Federal Constituency of Sokoto State with sight problems, like 70-year old set of twins, Hassan and Hussaini Muhammad Gidan Fulani, Wamakko Local Government Area, had cause to smile again after accessing free treatment during a three-day medical outreach.
The outreach, sponsored by a member of the House of Representatives from the area, Ahmed Abdullahi Kalambaina, screened and treated patients with sight problems as presbyopia, glaucoma, trachoma, conjunctivitis, allergy and cataract. The Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Kware, Sokoto State, was venue for the three-day programme conducted by a team of medical expertscled by Prof. Nasiru Muhammad.
It was targeted to provide treatment for 1, 500 patients with eye-related problems, which gave Hassan and Hussaini the opportunity to access successful treatment after four years battling with cataract. Besides, for their rare biological features, the twins were dramatically the centre of attraction during screening, with all eyes on them. Their common features were quite unique with imaginable conduct as other patients and their relatives admired the Gidan Fulani twins.
Amazingly, they were both screened and confirmed to have cataract on the left eye respectively. Shortly after, they were simultaneously moved into the surgery unit where they were successfully operated upon and discharged. The twin patients, according to one of their daughters, Malama Rahaina, they had to travel from Wamakko Local Government Area to Kware Local Government Area for the treatment. Explaining further on how they were infected, Rahaina said it was a sudden occurrence which everyone thought was a normal eye infection, which they tried to apply eye drop on.
“This is so because we couldn’t afford the money to treat them in hospital. We kept managing them with the little we have not until today that we happen to access this free treatment and we are grateful to the lawmaker for the hope he restored to my fathers for regaining their sights.”
The happy twins later expressed gratitude for having the opportunity to be treated after four years with the ailment. “Both of us are happy to have this opportunity to be treated today. Our lawmaker will not be forgotten and we pray God to reward Kalambaina.”
Explaining, Dr Mustapha Bature, an official of the team of consultants, said the patients had been screened and those for surgery would be carried out. “We will limit the surgery to 100 cataract patients,” Bature who stood in for Prof. Muhammad disclosed. He said presbyopia was the commonest sight infection found with those within the age bracket of 40-and above, noting that most patients were elderly and women were dominant. Bature disclosed that drugs and glasses, including other medications, had been provided to ensure a successful exercise.
Speaking, Ahmed Kalambaina said the initiative was in consideration of the importance of the sight to human life. According to the lawmaker, “this informed my decision to come up with the eye medical outreach as programme for those suffering from eye related issues to have immediate solutions to their problems.” He said the three-day programme was for Kware /Wamakko constituents irrespective of political divide. “Is for the people of my constituents and not about politics,” he said.
The Chief Medical Director, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Kware, hosted the outreach, Prof Shehu Saleh, commended the lawmaker for choosing the hospital as centre for the exercise. “We on our part have successfully embraced the initiative and rendered the necessary support by providing a unit, beds and beddings, stretcher and other basic equipment facilitate the conduct of the three day exercise. We are ready to accommodate any other person with similar initiative. Our facility is available all the time,” he assured.