LUTH to provide free glaucoma screening to public

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March 6, 2017 12:37 PM

Hospital will provide free glaucoma screening to the public between March 14 and March 15.

Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba.

The Guinness Eye Centre of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos State , would provide free glaucoma screening to the public between March 14 and March 15 from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.

LUTH’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Kelechi Otuneme, who disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos in a statement, said the screening was to commemorate the World Glaucoma Week celebration.

He said that the week long celebration would hold from March 12 to March 18 at the Guinness Eye Centre.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the centre provided free screening to people with glaucoma challenges in 2015 and 2016 respectively thus making it an annual event.

“This programme is part of the hospital’s Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) and is geared toward helping to raise awareness about glaucoma which is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide.

“The general public is hereby invited to take part in the exercise as an early detection is one of the preventive measures to prevent blindness from the disease," he said.

NAN also reports that glaucoma is a disease that damages the eyes’ optic nerves, which occurs when fluid builds up in the front part of the eyes.

The extra fluid increases the pressure in the eyes, damaging the optic nerves.

NAN also reports that glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness for people aged 60 years and above.

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