
Michael Magoronga, Correspondent
MORE than 200 Kwekwe residents with various eyesight problems received free eye treatment and spectacles courtesy of a one-day eye clinic and health combo organised by the Lions Club last week.
The health clinic also saw residents receiving free blood pressure and diabetes checks while people with albinism received special spectacles. The Lions Club roped in the services of Denmark optometrist Dr Finn Junker who teamed up with local opticians for the noble cause. Lions Club District 412A (Botswana and Zimbabwe) Governor, Mrs Siphiwe Juda Ndhlovu said the eyesight programme was one of the organisation’s major pillars.
“We have so many pillars ranging from addressing youth issues, disaster relief, childhood cancer, hunger prevention and the eyesight programme which is one of the major pillars. As lions we want to prevent preventable blindness and save people from other eye problems. We have been doing this programme since 1922 as an organisation where we do eye screening and provision of glasses,” she said.
She said about 200 people had their eyes checked in Kwekwe district.
“We had only one day for the programme in Kwekwe but we managed to attend to 205 people in Kwekwe. It’s unfortunate we had only one day, otherwise we wished we could have attended to more people. We are however, grateful that people came in their numbers to receive the treatment,” said Mrs Ndlovu.
The programme has already been rolled out in other areas including Zvishavane, Masvingo and Triangle where it benefited more than 700 people.
“As Lions Club we work with partners like Dr Junker who came all the way from Denmark using his own funds. We are grateful to such partners who sacrifice everything for the people to get their eyesight restored free of charge,” she said.
Kwekwe Mayor, Councillor Albert Zinhanga said the programme came at a time when residents were struggling to access health care due to harsh economic conditions.
“You find that people are having difficulties meeting daily demands as they cannot afford health care. Most people are living below the poverty datum line and this programme has come as a major relief to our residents and we are grateful to the organiser for such a noble idea,” he said.
He said the local authority was doing all it can to ensure that its clinics have drugs in stock for the benefit of the residents.
“In as much as we can provide drugs and other healthcare services, we cannot provide eye services, hence we are very grateful for this program,” he said.
Meanwhile, the eye screening programme rolled into Bulawayo on Friday and is set to continue until Wednesday with a number of centres set up within Bulawayo South Constituency. The Bulawayo programme was put together by Bulawayo South Member of Parliament Cde Raj Modi.