By Isaac Asabor
SANGO OTA/Nigeria: District 9110 of the Rotary Club, also known as Rotary D9110, has on Friday commissioned an eye hospital in Sango Ota, Ogun State in line with one of Rotary’s seven areas of focus which is that of fighting the disease as treating and preventing disease is so important to Rotarians.
Ahead of the commissioning, various activities were carried out on Thursday. Notably among the activities were the test running of the facilities the eye hospital is equipped with, and the free screening of beneficiaries.
On Friday, free surgeries and the official commissioning of the facility were carried out. The Governor Rotary District 9110, Rotarian Omotunde Johnson, while throwing light on the uniqueness of the hospital said the project was aimed at alleviating the pains being suffered by those without vision even as the project was funded by the Global Grant Project (GGP), charged with the charitable responsibility of funding; both local and charitable projects, adding that the eye hospital is a partner project sponsored by various stakeholders.
Johnson further added that the hospital is the first of its kind to be manned by indigenous doctors and that over 100 patients have benefited from the services rendered at the eye hospital hosted by Ace Medicare Clinics founded by Dr. Wole Kukoyi, who is also a Rotarian.
In his welcome remarks, Hon. Aruna Isola Ogunsola, who is the Project Primary Contact/Chairman, Implementation Committee at the Commissioning of the eye hospital said, “When the responsibility of continuing the process that led to the establishment of this beautiful and positively impacting edifice we are about to unveil this morning fell on me some months ago, little did I know that it was going to be an eye-opener and a turning point in my perception and experience of what Rotary really is.”
He said like other challenges in life he took up the assignment head-on and was inspired by the support from one of the initiators of the project, Dr. Basirat Giwa, and several other committed Rotarians who stood firm and made sacrifices to make the project a reality.
In his remark, he thanked Dr. Wole Kukoyi and Rev. Mrs. Olusola Kukoyi, owners of Ace Medicare Clinics for exhibiting uncommon magnanimity by donating 1/6th of the gigantic hospital complex freely for the use of humanity for the next five years, in the first instance, without blinking an eye, saying that only God in His infinite mercies can reward them for their collective sacrifice.
He added, “It will interest you to know that about 21 Rotary Clubs and 6 Rotary Districts came together to contribute the cost of this project which amounted to $95,460.
He said the least contribution by partner clubs to the project was $136 while the highest of about $15,000 was contributed by the Rotary Club of Gbagada, thus making the total contribution by all Clubs to be $48,715 while District Designated Funds from the 6 collaborating Districts and The Rotary Foundation was $46,745, saying “This is the power of positive cooperation.”
He added, “According to the sustainability plan of this project, the eye hospital will be handed over to a registered charity trust headed by PDG Dr. Dele Balogun and other notable and committed Rotarians who will continue to run it based on support of kind-hearted individuals, clubs, government, and corporate organisations, in order to continue to alleviate the avoidable suffering of less privileged persons whose vision are impaired by cataract and other eye diseases.
