Optometrists: Obaseki Urged To Employ More

Dr. Uche Ikonne, the President of the Nigerian Postgraduate College of Optometrists, has bemoaned the scarcity of optometrists within the Edo health sector, commenting that their absence has created a large negative impact on the wellbeing of the people of the state. This was said during the 14th annual general meeting/induction ceremony of Nigerian Postgraduate College of Optometrists in Benin at the weekend.

Dr. Ikonne, while being represented by the Dr. Franklin Kio, the Vice President of the College, mentioned that the last recruitment of an optometrist done in Edo State was 12 years ago, and that ever since then, there has not been any recruitments. He added that the, “shortfall in our various hospitals is having an untold hardship on the wellbeing of the people of the state.

“In Edo State, we have very few optometrists working. So, in order for them to be very effective, you need to have many of them working, particularly in rural areas. All citizens of Edo State desire good eye care. When you have an optometrist in an area, he will be able to capture the people who have eye problems there and refer when necessary in other to safeguard their eyes.”

“That is why we are saying, Edo State government should employ more optometrists. From record, the people in service now, the last set that were employed, they have spent 12 years already, and no new optometrists had gone into the service. There seems to be some silent embargoes on the employment of optometrists.”

“Citizens of Edo State don’t have the opportunity of getting good regular eye care. For example, if you have an eye problem, you have to come from Ekpoma now to Benin to visit the teaching hospital if you don’t visit the private clinics, which are few anyway.”

“We think there should be opportunity for the people in Ekpoma to have optometrists services in Ekpoma, in Irrua, Uhunmwode, in Ologbo, Auchi. We may have one or two scattered around, but they are not enough, and they are not equipped enough.”