Sen. Abdul’aziz Yari, former governor of Zamfara State and Senator representing Zamfara West, has finished free eye therapy and surgeries for over 1,000 people in the Zamfara West Senatorial zone.
The program was held in two selected senatorial zone hospitals, Talata Mafara and Anka general hospitals, to make transportation easier for patients. Gummi, Bukkuyum, and Anka local governments were centralized at Anka general hospitals, while Maradun, Bakura, and Talata Mafara were centralized at Talata Mafara General Hospital.
Speaking during the inauguration of the programme, former Governor of Zamfara state and now senator representing Zamfara West, Sen. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar represented by the former state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Lawal M Liman,said, the gesture was one of his interventions in the health sector.
He said that the intervention was aimed at supporting vulnerable persons with eye challenges but could not afford to pay for medical services.
“This is a pilot programme where 1000 patients will benefit.
“More beneficiaries will be selected in Anka, Bakura, Bukkuyum, Gummi, Maradun and Talata-Mafara LGAs in the subsequent phases of the intervention.
“The beneficiaries will be made up of the aged, vulnerable persons, women, and children.
He stated that the effort was designed to assist needy people who have vision problems but cannot afford medical care.
Each beneficiary will have access to eye treatment, surgery, and drugs during the exercise,” he added.
In his remarks, the Emir of Talata-Mafara, Bello Muhammad-Barmo, described the intervention as a welcome development.
The Emir represented by the Galadiman Mafara, Alhaji Malami Abubakar Sibo described the gesture as a good social protection intervention for vulnerable groups.
He urged other political office holders, well-meaning individuals, and organisations to emulate Senator Abdulaziz Yari’s gesture and reach out to the helpless poor.
The head of the medical team, Dr Kamal Umar, said that 20 medical personnel have been deployed for the exercise.
“We are going to engage health personnel in all the hospitals designed as treatment centres for this exercise across Zamfara West.
“Surgeries will be carried out for blind patients and those with trachoma, glaucoma, allergic and conjunctivitis.
“We will also provide long and short-sight glasses for the patients and refer any complicated health cases recorded from this exercise to various tertiary health institutions,” Mr Umar added.
Also, the zonal coordinator, APC Zamfara West, Sha’ayau Sarkin Pawa, commended the lawmaker for the gesture, which he said was in line with the party manifesto towards supporting the poor.
He appealed to the medical team to be patient and understanding with the patients who are eager to get treatment.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to newsmen commended the lawmaker for the gesture which they said would remain memorable in their lives.
