Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has pledged continued support for the establishment of a specialist eye hospital in the state to provide advanced treatment and serve patients across Nigeria and West Africa.
The governor gave the assurance while receiving a delegation from the Al-Basar International Foundation, Christian Blind Mission (CBM) and other partners on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Bauchi.
He commended their partnership with the Al-Muhibbah Foundation, describing it as a demonstration of unity and service to humanity.
Bala Mohammed also praised the First Lady, Dr Aisha Bala Mohammed, for her humanitarian efforts through the Al-Muhibbah Foundation. He said he had personally inspected the ongoing hospital project and was satisfied with its progress.
He expressed hope that construction would be completed in December, ahead of the proposed opening in January, and assured the partners of the state government’s support.
Earlier, the Regional Manager of Kano Eye Hospital, Bello Abdullahi Yuguda, disclosed that Al-Basar and CBM planned to conduct 2,500 free cataract surgeries in Bauchi this year, including 100 for children.
He added that another 600 free treatments had been allocated to the Al-Muhibbah Foundation for beneficiaries from less privileged backgrounds.
Yuguda said the SightQuest Programme was also supporting renovations at selected hospitals in Azare, Misau and Ningi, alongside the provision of eye-care equipment to selected primary healthcare centres.
He added that plans were underway to establish an eye-care training institution in Bauchi.
Also speaking, CBM representative, Mr Tobias Pflanz, appreciated the state government and its partners for their support.
He highlighted the case of a nine-year-old girl who recently regained her sight through surgery, expressing hope that the partnership would help more children and disadvantaged people.
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