The National Eye Centre in Kaduna is one of the institutions that walks it’s talk as ABDULRAHEEM AODU writes about its exploits in recent times.
The human eyes are part of the most vital human organs key to daily activities for which no one wants to lose any. Natural and man- made factors coupled with old age often however combine to deprive senior citizens of this vital organ. Young people, though fewer in number, are not exempted.
This explains why the National Eye Centre in Kaduna has become an attraction as people with eye discomfort throng the hospital for their eye challenges and possible solutions.
This federal government-owned eye hospital was commissioned in December 1992 for full operations as government’s response to the increasing incidences of eye problems among Nigerians in order to avoid irreversible blindness.
The hospital, which has provision for preventive, curative and rehabilitative services to Nigerians and patients from the West African sub region, has successfully delivered on its mandate through the efforts of its successive management.
Blueprint investigations revealed that the hospital facility has, in the last five years, attended to about 200,000 patients with an average of 39,261 per year. The figure excludes patients seen during its various community outreach programmes.
CMD speaks
The chief medical director (CMD) of the centre, Dr Mahmoud Alhassan told our correspondent during a tour of the facility that the hospital’s success story has been made possible by the management and staff with the support of successive governments.
Dr Alhassan said he is blessed with a formidable team of professionals in relevant fields of endeavour who have, over the years, helped to drive the centre’s vision which is to reduce blindness in Nigeria through the provision of qualitative, comprehensive and cost-effective eye care services, education, training, research and policy advocacy.
A centre for opthalmologist training
According to the CMD, the centre is not just a hospital, but also a training institution for ophthalmology in Nigeria. “Ophthalmologists and other eye healthcare manpower across the nation have benefitted from the centre’s knowledge bank in one way or the other by being participants in the various eye healthcare manpower development programmes run by the centre.”
Dr Alhassan said further, “The centre has been making efforts to ensure the story continues on the upward side. Though the last management started sub-specialty departments by training or supporting our ophthalmologists to train, as the case may be.
“In various sub-specialties like cataract and glaucoma, cornea, paediatric/strabismus, oculoplasty and vitreo-retina, non-availability of needed operational equipment made it difficult for Nigerians to benefit maximally from these trainings.
“However, in the recent past, the present management apart from retraining some of those formerly trained, to update them on the global standard best practices in their fields for optimal outcomes for their patients, also trained new ones as back-up for the sub-specialties already on ground.
“Some nurses and biomedical engineers/ technicians were also trained in some of the sub-specialties to effectively assist the surgeons. To give teeth to these trainings, we have, within the past few years, through capital projects, acquired some additional equipment to enable the sub-specialists practice and by extension make Nigerians benefit from their services.”
Breakthrough on vitreous-retinal surgery
Speaking on areas where the hospital was hitherto incapable of providing eye care service until now, Dr Alhassan revealed that the centre now undertakes vitreous-retinal surgery which had been a serious problem for average Nigerian patients with retinal detachment and other diseases of the retina who could not afford the exorbitant prices of the one or two private and overseas hospitals offering such services.
“This became possible with the recent acquisition of consumables for the vitrectomy machine and training of relevant staff on the use of the machine. Patients with retinal diseases are now referred to the centre from various parts of the nation.”
Daniel Agba who had suffered from retinal disease before told Blueprint that, “I was referred to this place from a prominent hospital in Enugu, I didn’t want to come but a friend encouraged me to come and I’m amazed by what I saw; honestly the machines and staff I met are great. I told my wife yesterday that I never knew Nigeria has this kind of eye services offered here.”
During the facility tour, it was gathered that other equipment enhancing retinal services purchased by the present management of the centre include an Argon Laser used for non-invasive retina photo coagulation; Wireless BIO used for indirect fundoscopy and for doing certain types of retinal surgery.
Other equipment are DRI-OCT (Triton Plus), a three dimensional optical coherence tomogram, which is used for anterior and posterior segment imaging, tomography of the retina and optic nerve, OCT/Fluorescent Angiography and Fundus Photography; Iridex Micropulse Laser Machine for non-invasive retinal photo coagulation, trabeculoplasty, among others, all of which have provided succour for patients with retinal diseases.
First cornea transplant
“Cornea transplant has also been an area former managements trained sub-specialists in but has not been carried out in the centre due to lack of donor tissues, necessary equipment and consumables including an eye bank. With the recent purchase of Auto-Kerato-Refracto-Tonometre, Wave front Analyser, Specular Microscope, Excimerlazer machine and construction of an eye bank, the centre was able to successfully carry out its first successful cornea transplant,” he said.
According to the management, the complexity of acquiring and preserving donor tissues is still a challenge but working hard to overcome it, so that Nigerians who require cornea transplant can easily access the service at the centre.
Plan to make artificial eyes 80℅ concluded
The centre, according to Investigation, would soon start manufacturing artificial eyes as the requirements is more than 80% met.
According to the CMD, “The requirements for the centre to start its own manufacturing of artificial eyes is more than 80% on ground. This will remove the hassles of procuring from outside sources and prolonged waiting on the part of patients who require it for cosmetic purpose.
“Paediatric ophthalmology services in the centre has also improved with the procurement of A and B Scanner as well as Eye Care Tonometer for measuring intra-ocular pressure for mainly paediatric patients, handheld pachymeter and Kerato Refractometer amongst others. Hope has been rekindled in our patients.
“Other additions that have improved eye care services offered to our patients are non-contact tonometer and pachymeter. In the optical unit, we now have a new blocking machine for surfacing of lenses, Grooving Machine for mounting of half rimmed frames, Drilling Machines for drilling holes on lenses for rimless lenses, Automatic Edger used for edging and fixing lenses all for the benefit of the patients.
“Our Optometry Unit now effectively offers low vision services to our teeming patients with the procurement of low vision devices. There have been progressive renovation of the hospital complex and to crown it all, this management has been able to start Electronic Medical Records (EMR) which is the practice globally.”
Community eye care outreaches growing
There have also been increase in community based service delivery via outreaches, school eye health visit and work place services.
“Community outreaches are carried out in different local government areas in Kaduna state with an adopted outreach centre for subsidised cataract surgery at General Hospital, Turunku managed by National Eye Centre Community Eye Care Project (NECCEP) also a brainchild of this management.
“It will not be possible to put down all that we have done to improve eye care services in the National Eye Centre. Suffice it to say that the centre is on course in line with its vision,” Dr Alhassan added.
Confirming the hospital’s claim on medical outreach, Ahmed Gambo, a teacher in Turunku said, “Since Dr Alhassan Mahmoud became director, this community has seen increased medical attention. I am a beneficiary of the centre outreach and I know most of us in Igabi local government area are happy with the hospital.”
Challenges
Apart from the usual paucity of funds which is a perennial issue in Nigeria, the hospital recently went through harrowing experience when a rogue Avastin injection almost blinded 10 patients. However, corrective surgery at the hospital and impressive eye care services returned the vision of nine of the patients fully, while the last patient, who is found to be diabetic, partially regained his vision with periodic improvement.
