In a significant move to improve healthcare delivery, the North East Development Commission (NEDC) has concluded a specialized training program for dozens of eye care professionals in Maiduguri. The initiative is designed to directly tackle the high prevalence of avoidable blindness and strengthen medical services across Nigeria's Northeast region.
Strengthening Eye Care Through Specialized Training
The two-week intensive training took place at the Maiduguri Eye Hospital (MEYH) and was organized by the NEDC. The program targeted a critical shortage of skilled personnel by building the capacity of ophthalmic solution doctors, nurses, and biomedical technicians from Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states.
Speaking to journalists in Maiduguri on Monday, the Managing Director of the NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, outlined the commission's objectives. He stated that the training was specifically crafted to "strengthen and boost" eye care services in the region. This effort is a core part of the commission's Ophthalmology Equipment Setup and Training (OPEP) programme.
Aligning Skills with State-of-the-Art Technology
Alkali emphasized that the training was meticulously designed to work in tandem with modern medical equipment. The goal is to enhance both surgical and diagnostic capabilities, which will directly lead to better clinical outcomes for patients suffering from common but debilitating conditions like cataracts and glaucoma.
"Our intervention in the health sector could not have come at a better time," Alkali revealed. He described the program as a deliberate investment in human capital development, coupled with strategic upgrades to modern medical infrastructure. The provision of state-of-the-art ophthalmic equipment is expected to enable high-impact interventions across the region's health institutions.
A Collaborative Effort for Sustainable Impact
The training was led by a renowned expert, Professor Abdull Mohammed Mahdi, the Chief Consultant in Ophthalmology. Professor Mahdi highlighted the collective expertise brought to the initiative, noting that the facilitators possessed decades of combined clinical, academic, and technical experience.
This capacity-building initiative by the NEDC addresses a pressing need to improve access to specialist eye care. By focusing on strengthening the resilience of tertiary health institutions, the commission aims to create a lasting impact on public health in the Northeast, ultimately reducing the burden of avoidable blindness for thousands of residents.
