Ekiti State residents are excited over the Free Health Mission provided by Dr. Kayode Fayemi led administration, saying it has restored and revived the lost hope of those with serious health challenges in the state.
A 37-year old cataract patient, Mr Sola Owolabi thanked the State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi for initiating the free eye surgery programme from which he benefitted two months ago, during the state’s free medical mission.
Narrating his ordeal before the eye surgery to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, Owolabi said he had been battling with cataract for more than four years, an eye ailment which affected his two eyes and rendered him blind for the period.
The Ado -Ekiti-born bricklayer, who had no family member to assist him said he had sold off all his properties to feed himself when he had no means of catering for himself.
Owolabi who noted that he was asked to bring #120,000 for eye surgery when he visited the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, in Ado-Ekiti, but could not raise the said sum because of his condition further explained that he resorted to begging for alms and lived a rather miserable lifestyle when all hope was lost.
He said his hope of regaining sight was rekindled when he heard on the radio that the state government was starting a free eye surgery in some selected parts of the State, as part of the free medical mission of the Fayemi administration.
According to him, he took his chance with the help of a neighbour who took him to the State Hospital Ikere –Ekiti, where he underwent the eye surgery and could now see again.
Owolabi said: “I have had cataract for four years and there was no assistance for me to seek medical solution to it. Before the eye incident, I had a barbing saloon but I had to sell off all my properties when I became blind. For those four years, I didn’t know where I was sleeping because I could not see at all.
“A neighbour took me to the Teaching Hospital Ado and was asked to bring N120,000 for both eyes. I could not afford this so I lost hope of regaining sight. But one day I heard on the radio that Governor Fayemi would be taking a free eye surgery to some parts of the State. So one of my brothers took me to State Hospital Ikere where the eyes were operated free of charge. I appreciate God and Dr Fayemi for giving me another chance to see”, he said.
He appealed to the governor to assist him to get a means of livelihood so that he would not continue to beg for alms.
