Sokoto State Government Partners with NNPC Foundation to Expand Eye Care and Health Interventions
The Sokoto State Government, in collaboration with the NNPC Foundation, has launched a free cataract extraction surgery programme aimed at tackling preventable blindness across the state. The initiative, flagged off by Commissioner for Health, Dr. Faruku Umar Abubakar Wurno, underscores the government’s commitment to expanding access to quality healthcare services.
The programme targets 200 patients from the three senatorial districts—100 in Sokoto East (at Wurno General Hospital) and 100 in Sokoto Central and West (at Specialist Hospital, Sokoto). Dr. Wurno called on residents with eye-related ailments to take advantage of the free surgeries, which also address glaucoma cases.
Speaking on behalf of the NNPC Foundation, Dr. Zainab Tahir Umar reaffirmed the initiative as part of the Foundation’s corporate social responsibility to improve lives through strategic health interventions. Other dignitaries, including the State Eye Care Project Manager, local leaders, and healthcare partners, commended the state’s proactive health agenda.
In a related development, the Commissioner also visited the Sokoto College of Nursing Sciences, urging management and students to maintain professional standards. He pledged government support to rehabilitate dilapidated infrastructure and address the institution’s operational challenges to strengthen the healthcare workforce.
