Youth Corps member builds Eye Care Center for Ilasa, Isolo communities in Lagos

…..distributes eye glasses

A youth corps member, Dr. Joseph Odede has built and donated a state-of-the-art Eye Clinic Centre to the residents of Ilasa/Isolo Local Council Development Area in Lagos State.

The centre located inside the Ilasa Primary Health Care Centre is Dr. Odede’s personal Community Development Service (CDS) project and inaugurated by the Lagos State Coordinator National Youth Service Corps, NYSC Mrs. Yetunde Baderinwa. 

Mrs Baderinwa commended the youth corps member Dr. Odede for the CDS project delivered to the people of Ilasa and Isolo area. 

She said, when the young doctor was posted to the Ilasa Primary Health care Centre, he realised that there was no facility for optometry and the gap created by dearth of opticians inspired him to start the project. 

“I am happy we are commissioning the project today after three months . When he was posted here from the orientation camp , he realised there was no optician at the centre . That was why he started the project. Odede is an inspiration to others; corpers should therefore, know that anywhere they find themselves, they must identify the needs of the local community which they can build on”.

Speaking on what inspired him, Dr Joseph Odede said, he discovered the high prevalence of preventable blindness and eye diseases and the deplorable state of the facilities to manage these conditions.

According to him, his desire to address these problems moved him to start the eye clinic project. 

“The state of the facilities was deplorable. There was no place for comprehensive eye care. No office space for the doctors to see patients. So most patients are forced to go to the general hospitals. That moved me the drive to commence on the project”. 

He assured his host community that with a conducive environment and a world class eye clinic centre with modern equipment for both Ilasa and Isolo residents, they would not need to travel far to the General Hospital for eye care.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Ibrahim Mustapha, represented by Dr. Tanimowo Shola commended Dr Odede for the CDS project. 

He urged other corps members to think of how they can better the community they are serving and promised that they would assist in ensuring the equipment needed at the centre were provided. 

Also the Health Committee Chairman of Ilasa CDA, Alhaji Semiudeen Rahmonu while applauding Dr Odede, for the feat, appealed to the State Government to retain the young doctor, as the community cannot afford to lose him after his service year. 

“His is our son, the government should make sure he stays here with us, this thing he has done for our community, we appreciate it very well”.

Highlights of the event was the distribution of eye glasses to over 80 people with the elderly in majority.

The event was attended by Lagos State Government, Ilasa/Isolo LCDA officials, Dr. Odede’s parents, family members,  NYSC officials, youth corpers, medical personnel, community leaders, students, traders and the media.