Lagos ophthalmic nurses provide free eye screening for drivers in Mushin

File photo: Chairman, Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Ophthalmic Nurses Association, Godwin Manema

Ophthalmic nurses in Lagos State have taken eye-care services to commercial drivers at the Idi-Araba Motor Park, Mushin, examining their eyes, providing reading glasses and referring those requiring further attention for additional care.

The outreach, held at Idi-Araba Motor Park on September 17, was part of activities organised by the Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Ophthalmic Nurses Association to give back to the community and help people identify and avoid preventable eye problems.

The outreach followed the association’s annual conference, held on September 16 at Hall 36, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, and themed “Advancing Excellence in Ophthalmic Nursing: Innovations, Safety, and Patient-Centered Care.”

The Chairman, Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Ophthalmic Nurses Association, Godwin Manema, said the outreach was designed to bring basic eye-care services closer to commercial drivers and identify those who needed further treatment.

“Our intention is for all the drivers that are working within the home, for them to be able to examine the eye, for them to also have glasses, for them to be able to read tiny print, as well as other complaints that affect the eye,” Manema explained.

“Equally, we also want to make necessary referrals for those that need more attention,” he added, noting that such drivers would be referred to the Idi-Araba Eye Centre and Guinness Eye Centre for further examination and treatment.

Manema said the outreach was also intended to strengthen the relationship between ophthalmic nurses and the communities they serve.

“We also extended this outreach programme for us to be able to give back to the community we are serving, for them to be able to also identify with us as part of their co-partners in giving care to the eye, for them to be able to at least avoid all the avoidable problems that can affect the eye,” he noted.

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Speaking at the conference, Manema explained that it was organised to keep ophthalmic nurses abreast of new developments and best practices in eye care.

 “We feel that it is more timely for this kind of conference so that we will be able to at least know more of the issues, new things, new developments in ophthalmic nursing, new trending things, and for us to be able to be current with the new developments, for us to be able to practise effectively according to the trending things in ophthalmic nursing,” he stated.

Manema also called for ophthalmic nurses to be allowed to practise within their training and scope at the community level.

 “We also want free and fair practice and independence in what we are doing because according to the council, everyone who has been trained is free to practise what he has been trained for,” he stressed.

“If we are in the community, we should be able to at least practise what we know, what we are trained for, within the community level,” he added.

Manema further explained that ophthalmic nurses collaborate with other eye-care professionals, including ophthalmologists, optometrists and dispensing opticians.

“All of us collaborate to work as one, to bring eye health into the forefront, especially in Lagos State, and we are part of it; we are also recognised,” he disclosed.