An opthalmologist, Zainab Akinbode, has advised Nigerians to desist from using substances such as breast milk and urine as remedies to treat eye defects.
Dr. Akinbode said such practices could cause serious damage to their eyes.
Akinbode spoke in Akure, the Ondo state capital, at the two days free healthcare outreach conducted by the Philips Diagnostic Centre.
The free healthcare included malaria testing, blood pressure checks, free glasses, and eye drops.
Dr. Akinbode said the resort to using traditional eye medication has led to many people becoming permanently blind.
He said: “As an ophthalmologist, we see a lot of patients using traditional eye medication on their eyes with things like nursing mothers putting breast milk on their children’s eyes, people putting urine, onions, leaves, sugar water, and all sorts of things.
“These things have caused a lot of defects in their eyes. Some people have even gone blind because of this. The best thing to do is to educate them against such harmful practices.”
Facility manager, Emmanuel Awopetu, said the initiative was to address the healthcare needs of the people due to rising cost of medical care and to raise awareness on the importance of regular health checkups.
Read Also: Ogun residents get free surgeries for eye defects
Awopetu said it was part of the firm’s corporate social responsibility to the people.
He said: “It is also our own way of corporate social responsibility. Making people happy in our own little way is something we considered to be too important. Hundreds of people will be benefiting from the program. It is also our founder’s day. The cost expended on the initiative is in millions.
“We urge people that when they have an ailment, it is important to visit diagnostic centres because it comes first before any other medical procedures. It is after the proper investigations have been done that you will know who to see.”