As the world prepares to mark World Diabetes Day for 2022, the National Eye Centre, on Thursday, delivered free medical services to over 1,700 residents of Kaduna State through its diabetes care unit National Eye Centre Diabetes-Militus Care Initiative.
Speaking at the Kaduna Central Market, the venue of the free medical care exercise, Dr Paulinus Unung nong, head of the Pathological Department said, “after some years of interaction with patients, there should be a platform different from the regular course to take care of diabetes.
Ahead of November 14, World Diabetes Day, we started the program in the central market, the platform is a volunteer group with the Chief Medical Director, Dr Mahmoud Alhassan, as the team leader.
‘The projection is 2,000 subjects, on Wednesday, we attended to over 600 subjects and today we got almost twice. I came here with 29 staff and am happy that so far we have done more than 60 per cent of our projections. The choice of the market is because people come here in the morning and sometimes spend the whole day here so it’s easy to come out for the screening,” Dr Paulinus added.
The team commended the Chief Medical Director, Dr Mahmoud Alhassan, stressing that “when the platform was formed the Chief Medical Director was able to quickly employ a consultant endocrinologist and consultants chemical pathologist to assist in addressing endocrine issues.
On reaching out to the rural areas, Paulinus revealed that the platform is training Health workers and intends to form a sub-platform for the rural areas.
Speaking on diabetes statistics in Nigeria, Paulinus, said that for every 10 persons on the streets two or three will be diabetic.
Hassan Abdulamid, a 40-year-old patient, who benefited from the free diabetes medical care lauded National Eye Centre for giving him free medical services saying he believes his eye challenges will be resolved.
Also speaking, Yemi Abdullahi, a beneficiary maintained that “I heard of National Eye Centre though the distance always discouraged me from going to the Centre, but now that they are here in the central market am happy to come for the free medication.”
