Caption: A patient undergoing free cataract surgery by VCDF’s team.
Free cataract surgeries have commenced at Central Hospital, Kwale, Delta State, as Vcare for Development Foundation (VCDF), in partnership with the Delta State Ministry of Health, moves to tackle avoidable blindness.
The initiative, supported by Sterling Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO) under the Sustainable Primary Eye Care Services (SPECS) Programme, is aimed at restoring sight to residents across the state.
At the launch, the foundation’s surgical team successfully carried out its first set of operations on February 26, 2026, benefiting patients from Ndokwa East and Ndokwa West.
According to the 2024 Nigeria National Eye Health Survey, cataract accounts for 44 per cent of blindness cases in the country, with over 1.1 million Nigerians living with vision impairment. In Delta State alone, more than 25,000 residents are affected by untreated cataracts.
To strengthen service delivery, VCDF said it trained 87 health workers and conducted 62 screening camps, reaching 2,447 persons across the state.
Explaining the process, the foundation noted that patients are screened within their communities and transported to the Cataract Surgery Unit, where ophthalmologists conduct pre-operative assessments and perform surgeries at no cost. Post-surgery care, including medication and follow-up visits, is also provided.
A community leader, High Chief Godwin Ifeanyi Edema, said: “VCDF has brought specialized eye care directly to our people. The impact is immediate and life changing.”
One of the beneficiaries, Emeke Odigili, said: “I had almost lost hope of seeing clearly again. Today, I had free cataract surgery. I am grateful to VCDF.”
An ophthalmologist with the programme, Dr. Ernest Ogbedo, said: “Cataract remains one of the leading causes of avoidable blindness, and timely surgery can completely restore vision. To date, the team has conducted 113 successful surgeries in Delta State.”
VCDF’s Programmes Manager, Philip Ukemezia, said: “Today marks a major milestone for VCDF as we restore sight and dignity to residents of nine LGAs in Akwa Ibom and Delta. We have screened over 11,858 persons and carried out more than 1,070 successful cataract and pterygium surgeries, with plans to expand to neighbouring LGAs and states.”
He added that the programme underscores the foundation’s commitment to providing accessible and sustainable eye care services in Nigeria.
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