No fewer than 18,000 vulnerable patients with various eye ailments have received free eye care services and surgeries from the Mangal Foundation since 2016.
A board member of the Foundation, Mr Hussaini Kabir, made this known at the start of the 2025 last-quarter eye surgery exercise in Katsina on Friday.
Kabir noted that about 7,000 beneficiaries were recorded in 2025, cutting across Katsina State, neighbouring states and parts of the Niger Republic.
He explained that screening for the exercise began two weeks ago, during which many patients received free drugs and medicated eyeglasses.
He said patients requiring surgery had their hospital stay fully covered and about 2,000 people were screened in the ongoing exercise.
Reaffirming the foundation’s commitment to improving access to healthcare as part of its corporate social responsibility, Kabir said “Our aim is to complement government efforts and ease healthcare costs for the most vulnerable.”
An ophthalmologist involved in the exercise, Dr Ahmad Hamza, said many patients were diagnosed with cataracts and glaucoma requiring surgical intervention.
He stressed the importance of regular eye checks, noting that early detection prevents permanent vision loss from silent diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.
NAN