Saudi Arabia Begins Free Eye Surgeries in Ibadan

T The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has flagged off a week-long free eye care outreach in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, as part of its global Noor ophthalmic volunteer programme.

Spearheaded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), the initiative commenced on Friday at the newly inaugurated Makkah Specialist Eye Hospital and is scheduled to run until August 7.

According to the organisers, the outreach aims to provide quality eye care services to underserved communities, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s broader global humanitarian vision. Over 4,000 residents are expected to benefit from the free intervention, which includes advanced diagnostic screenings, cataract surgeries with intraocular lens (IOL) implants, treatment of refractive errors, and distribution of prescription eyeglasses.

Speaking on the initiative, Mohammed Alsahabi, Saudi Arabia’s press attaché to Nigeria, confirmed that the outreach is being conducted under the directives of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

"The initiative reflects Saudi Arabia’s broader global vision to make quality healthcare accessible to underserved populations," Alsahabi said.

He further highlighted that the blindness prevention programme, launched in 2019, has so far delivered over 218,000 eye examinations, performed more than 21,000 surgeries to restore sight, and distributed over 45,000 eyeglasses across several Nigerian states, including Yobe, Kano, Bauchi, and Lagos.

"This Ibadan phase marks another major milestone in KSrelief’s mission to combat avoidable blindness in Nigeria," he added.

Since its establishment in 2015, KSrelief has executed more than 3,612 humanitarian projects across 108 countries, reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s commitment to global health and humanitarian assistance.

Source: X | thecableng