Rotary Club to Restore Vision for 600 People in Kano

Rotary Club to Restore Vision for 600 People in Kano

Mary Nnah

In line with its Vision 2020 Project, the Rotary Club of Lagos Island, District 9110, in partnership with Geeta Ashram, Lekki, has concluded plans to restore the sight of 600 people with various forms of eyes impairments in Kano State.

The scheme which involves conducting of free eye cataract surgeries for the poor and underprivileged people among others will begin with the first eye camp on September 9 at the ECWA Hospital, Kano where 600 patients will be operated on and their vision restored.

This was revealed during the club’s third Blood Donation Camp held in Lekki, Lagos, where voluntary blood donation was being made to meet the acute shortage of blood in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, President, Rotary Club of Lagos Island, Rotarian Vipul Agrawal, said the Vision 2020 Project is part of the five key areas, which the club is focusing on in this Rotary year and this also include the blood donation camps.

While revealing that two camps are organised monthly to encourage the habit of blood donation, as well as provide an efficient medical resource that saves lives, Agrawal stressed that blood donation is a very important exercise not only for the club but for the communities we live in and the country at large, adding that the Rotary Club of Lagos Island is the largest donor of blood by social service organisation in Nigeria.

“Every day, unfortunately, thousands of people are involved in accidents while others are anaemic and need blood. Today, the blood available in our hospital is less than 10 percent of what is required and there is acute shortage of healthy blood in the country.

“So, voluntary blood donation is the best way to collect blood to save lives because it is healthy both for the donor and for the receiver. Any healthy person within the ages of 18 and 60 can donate blood once every 90 days without any harm and within 24 to 48 hours the blood is recouped by the body. This is the best way to serve the community and save people’s lives”, Agrawal noted.

He revealed further that between 2018 and 2019, the club has collected 1,200 pints and it’s still on the course to collect 2, 000 pints before the year runs out, adding that every pint of blood collected saves three lives.

“Rotary Club of Lagos Island is partnering Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) to conduct blood donation camps. LSBTS provide blood to government hospitals for accident and medical care”, he said.

In addition to this, Agrawal said the club is also deeply involved in the education sector, where it works to improve the hygiene of girls by providing sanitary napkins. This, he said improves attendance in school.

He said further that the club has adopted Teslim Elias Model Primary and Union Baptist Schools and has renovated the toilet blocks there, providing children with clean toilets and water.

Expressing his view on the blood donation exercise, Chairman, Blood Donation, Rotary Club of Lagos, Prakash Ramchandani said the turnout was unsatisfactory.

While revealing that the blood donation camps will be held from time to time, he said the club will keep on educating people on why they should donate blood.

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