NEDC deploys N3bn ophthalmology equipment, launches two-week health programme in Borno

The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has commenced the implementation of a two-week medical health programme aimed at improving healthcare delivery and enhancing the overall health outcomes of residents in the region.

Findings by our correspondent revealed that the Commission has launched the Ophthalmology Equipment Set-Up and Training Programme at the Maiduguri Eye Hospital in Borno State, with the deployment of advanced eye-care equipment valued at over ₦3 billion.

The programme, which began on Monday, marks a significant milestone in the NEDC’s efforts to strengthen specialist healthcare services and reduce the incidence of preventable blindness across the North-East.

It was gathered that activities at the facility commenced with the installation, calibration and coupling of the state-of-the-art equipment, alongside hands-on technical and clinical training for hospital personnel to ensure effective and sustainable utilisation.

The training programme is being led by the Chief Consultant in Ophthalmology, Prof. Abdull Mohammed Mahdi, with support from Dr. Abuh Sunday and a multidisciplinary team of ophthalmology and biomedical engineering experts.

Hospital authorities confirmed that participants drawn from the Maiduguri Eye Hospital and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) include consultant ophthalmologists, resident doctors, ophthalmic nurses, optometrists and biomedical engineers.

They are currently undergoing intensive practical sessions focused on equipment operation, maintenance and efficient clinical application.

The authorities of the NEDC said the intervention would significantly boost the hospital’s diagnostic and surgical capacity, particularly in the treatment of cataract and glaucoma, while supporting its long-term goal of transforming the Maiduguri Eye Hospital into a regional centre of excellence.

In addition to the equipment deployment, the Commission is carrying out extensive renovations and infrastructure upgrades at the hospital to enhance modern clinical operations and patient experience.

It was learnt that similar ophthalmic interventions are also underway across the North-East, including the construction of an ultra-modern Eye Institute at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi, which began last year and is slated for accelerated implementation this year.

The Commission, through its Media Department, described the initiative as a strategic investment that combines advanced medical infrastructure with targeted human capacity development.

The NEDC emphasized that the ₦3 billion intervention programme would have a lasting impact on access to quality eye-care services in the region, in addition to various ongoing infrastructure projects in the six states of the region. 

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