First City Monument Bank (FCMB), in collaboration with the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation (TCF), has provided free corrective eye surgery to 350,000 Nigerians across the country. Under the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, tagged Priceless Gift of Sight, the beneficiaries have benefited from free testing, optical services, surgeries, free glasses, and eye impairment care. This has cut across Cross River, Ogun, Kebbi, Imo, Abuja, Katsina, and Adamawa, among other states. A beneficiary of a free eye surgery, Stephen Oyedokun expressed deep gratitude and warm praise to FCMB and TCF.
Oyedokun, explained that he had been wearing glasses for years before he found out about the program. Eventually, his eyesight began to blur unexpectedly, making it more difficult for him to go about his normal activities. Subsequently, he regained his sight after an examination at the hospital and a successful surgery which he said cost him nothing. Once again, he praised FCMB and the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation for their work with the Priceless Gift of Sight initiative and for giving individuals the privilege to regain their sight.
The intervention is aimed at treating cataracts and other eye impairments.
Helen Simon, another beneficiary of the initiative, expressed appreciation to FCMB for helping her regain her sight thus allowing her to move forward with her life. Simon explained that she had a debilitating eye condition and was losing hope until a neighbour informed her about the Priceless Gift of Sight initiative. The annual intervention, established by FCMB in 2009, is aimed at treating cataracts and other eye impairments that might lead to blindness among underprivileged adults and children in various communities around Nigeria.
Tulsi Chanrai Foundation, an implementing partner of First City Monument Bank, is a leading non-governmental organization dedicated to improving accessibility to healthcare and provision of medical expenses in underserved regions of Nigeria. The three main focuses of TCF are the restoration of sight, the provision of basic health care, and the provision of clean water. Arun Blasi, administrator of TCF Eye Hospital in Abuja, says the company’s fourteen-year partnership with FCMB has helped thousands of patients. Blasi, said that with the Bank’s support, the organization had treated over 30,000 people and had completed 20,000 successful eye surgeries.
Patients incur zero expenses from testing, surgery to discharge.
The TCF Administrator acknowledges FCMB’s dedication to improving people’s lives and encourages the bank to maintain its longstanding commitment to the TCF. According to Blasi, the nonprofit conducts outreach eye screenings in different areas around Nigeria. Patients with eye impairments are transported and admitted for further testing and surgery for two to three days. The Foundation takes care of all of their medical requirements, including food, during this time. Patients incur zero out-of-pocket expenses from pre-op testing and surgery through discharge and return transportation.
Ladi Balogun, CEO of FCMB Group, emphasized that blindness is a disability that often results in a loss of income and severe poverty. This is because being blind makes it difficult to move about, which in turn increases feelings of loneliness, lowers mental health, and restricts access to resources. As a result, he advocated for more effective campaigning and the inclusion of eye care in national healthcare programs. Yemisi Edun, managing director of FCMB avers that over a million Nigerian people are visually impaired. She noted that the Priceless Gift of Sight was founded out of a commitment to lessen the number of people becoming blind due to a lack of access to eye care.
Around 17,000 Nigerians were able to regain their sight after surgery.
In partnership, FCMB and TCF have offered free eye surgery, tests, and glasses to more than 300,000 people in Nigeria. Around 17,000 Nigerians who were blind before surgery were able to regain their sight, while the remainder had their eyes examined for different problems and were given corrective lenses or spectacles. Awareness of the scope of the cataract crisis in Nigeria has also been increased owing to the FCMB Priceless Gift of Sight project.
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FCMB: Website
FCMB offer free eyecare to 350,000 Nigerians – Beneficiaries have benefited from free testing and surgeries. – Express your point of view.
I appreciate the FCMB for their show of public love for administering free eye care for Nigerians. A lot of Nigerians go through eye defects, the free care will help them tackle it.
This is a commendable and impactful initiative that will positively affect the lives of many Nigerians. The program will help to ensure that Nigerians, especially those in the low-income bracket, have access to quality eye care services. This initiative will promote healthy living and prevent avoidable blindness and visual impairment, which can significantly impact the individual’s productivity, quality of life and a boost to the health care sector.
Wow this is a very wonderful thing that FCMB wants to do, and this is something that can bring in more customers to them, nice one.
FCMB is doing well b ecause this will help so many nigerians suffering from eye illness and it will boost FCmB’s reputation in the country.
The FCMB offering free eyecare to 350,000 Nigerians is impressive and should be commended. However, is a way of the coperation discharging their Social Responsibility to the country. More is expected from them and other coperate entities.
These are the kind of goodwill that is needed in the country and I hope more banks can follow suit because it is an extremely wonderful initiative. God bless FCMB for this.
FCMB offer free eyecare to 350,000 Nigerians. Very impressive, thanks for support we really appreciate this effort. Many people don’t have money for check up and treatments for eye care. With this opportunity 350,000 Nigerians with be treated
FCMB have really done very well in offering free eyecare to 350,000 Nigerians including eye test and surgeries. I am expecting from them. Other organisation should do the same to contribute to the growth and development of the nation.
This is a very good gesture from the FCMB group and it will go a long way in providing relieve for those people that were not capable of providing the money needed to take care of themselves and of program like this should be emulated by other institutions.
This is the type of Corporate social responsibility expected from big organizations, if we have 20 others doing things like this, the. This country will be better place