Through the Priceless Gift of Sight Initiative of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in collaboration with the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation (TCF), free corrective surgeries have been successfully performed on over 20,000 blind Nigerians and their ability to see was restored.
The initiative has provided free testing, optical services, surgeries, free glasses, and management of eye diseases to more than 350,000 Nigerians across the states of Cross River, Ogun, Kebbi, Imo, Abuja, Katsina, and Adamawa, among others.
Stephen Oyedokun, one of the beneficiaries of the free eye surgery, praised FCMB and TCF, saying, “For many years, I have worn glasses. However, in April 2021, I felt my vision deteriorating and found it difficult to see clearly. Everything I did was impacted by the situation as it grew worse.
The Priceless Gift of Sight program was then mentioned to me. I underwent the surgery successfully after visiting the hospital for an evaluation. Everything was provided without charge.
A trader named Helen Simon, who is another beneficiary, thanked FCMB for giving her the chance to move on with her life and for giving her sight back. Helen disclosed that she had a severe eye condition and was about to give up when a neighbor told her about the Priceless Gift of Sight initiative.
She said, “At first I had my doubts about the program. It was absurd for organizations to provide people with free eye surgery. I sought treatment elsewhere as a result, but the issue grew worse”.
She continued, “It did not improve. I went back to my neighbor, who gave me the address of the Tulsi Chanrai Hospital. There, I was examined and given a surgical recommendation. My happiness is now boundless thanks to my successful eye surgery”.
She further said, “The fact that everything was free surprised me because I had assumed they would demand payment. We received free meals, lodging, and medication. I discovered later that our surgery and everything else were sponsored by a bank called FCMB. I don’t know how to express my gratitude to FCMB, but I am confident that God will give the bank even greater rewards.
In 2009, FCMB launched the priceless Gift of Sight initiative. In Nigeria’s rural and periurban communities, the Bank aimed to reduce the prevalence of avoidable blindness and needless visual impairment.
The Tulsi Chanrai Foundation, a leading non-governmental organization that improves the accessibility and affordability of health care services in outlying areas of Nigeria, is the First City Monument Bank’s implementing partner. Restoring sight, ensuring access to primary healthcare, and providing clean water are TCF’s three main areas of focus.
TCF Eye Hospital in Abuja Administrator Arun Blasi stated, “We have worked with FCMB for fourteen years. Thousands of people have benefited from this relationship, which has been very healthy. With the Bank’s assistance, we were able to treat over 30,000 outpatients and perform 20,000 successful eye surgeries”.
According to Ladi Balogun, CEO of FCMB Group, blindness is a medical condition that frequently results in lost income and severe hardship. For no other reason than that it limits movement, fosters social isolation, leads to poor mental health, and restricts access to information. He urged better advocacy and the requirement that eye care be included in all forms of universal health care.
As evidence of how unnecessary blindness impedes social and economic advancement, approximately 90% of all blind people live in the world’s poorest nations.
According to a recent report by the Unite for Sight Foundation, poverty worsens blindness, and blindness worsens poverty. The majority of blindness victims lose their ability to work. They’ll probably struggle to support themselves and their families as a result, furthering poverty.
The managing director of FCMB, Yemisi Edun, revealed that there are over a million blind adults in Nigeria. She claimed that the Priceless Gift of Sight, which has lowered the curve, was created to stop more people from becoming blind due to a lack of access to eye care.
We are happy that the Priceless Gift of Sight is closing the gap, averting avoidable blindness, and giving disadvantaged and lower-income Nigerians their sight back. Benefit recipients have provided us with a lot of encouraging feedback. I appreciate the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation’s collaboration with us in assisting thousands of Nigerians who have lost their sight to lead fulfilling lives.
