The Osun State Government has taken another significant step in improving the well-being of schoolchildren as it begins medical operations for students diagnosed with serious eye conditions.
This development follows the earlier screening of hundreds of thousands of students across public primary and secondary schools in the state under the Imole School Eye Health Programme.
According to Dr. Rasaq Akindele, the Executive Secretary of the Osun Health Insurance Agency (OSHIA), over 345,000 students were screened through the state-funded eye health programme.
Out of those, around 45,000 were identified to have varying degrees of eye issues, including refractive errors, infections, and more complex conditions that require surgical intervention.
Akindele noted, “Some of the pupils were not performing well because of the visual challenges they had. So, we got the approval of the governor to screen all the students in public primary and secondary schools.”
He explained that out of the total number of students with issues, about 42,000 were given free corrective glasses and medications to improve their vision, while those with more severe issues are now undergoing surgery in batches.
The surgeries, which are being carried out in phases, mark the second stage of the government’s effort to tackle preventable blindness and sight problems among children. Akindele confirmed that the medical procedures have already started, and the government will share updates on the results once all surgeries are completed.
He also shared plans to expand the programme beyond public institutions. “The governor has also promised that we are going to extend the gesture to the private schools so that they can also benefit,” he said.
