NOA seeks more optometrists in PHCs to curb avoidable blindness

The Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA), Edo State chapter, has called for the recruitment and deployment of more optometrists to Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the country, warning that inadequate access to professional eye care could expose more Nigerians to preventable blindness.

The association said strengthening eye care services at the grassroots level would help tackle quackery, wrong prescriptions and harmful traditional practices while ensuring early detection and treatment of eye conditions.

Chairman of the association in the state, Dr Charles Eguavoen, made the call in Benin during a press briefing to commemorate the 2026 World Sight Day.

Eguavoen disclosed that Edo had 240 registered optometrists capable of providing services across various sectors requiring professional eyecare but regretted that many were yet to be absorbed into the public healthcare system.

He said the deployment of more optometrists to PHCs would improve access to prompt treatment for eye injuries sustained on farms and at workplaces, provide first aid for eye emergencies and facilitate early referrals for patients requiring surgical intervention.

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He stressed that the availability of trained eyecare professionals at the primary healthcare level would also reduce reliance on unqualified practitioners and unsafe traditional remedies, thereby helping to prevent blindness.

The NOA chairman urged the management of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, to engage optometrists to cater for the eyecare needs of its large student and staff population, as well as residents of surrounding communities.

He called on the Edo State Health Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (EDOHERMA) to employ optometrists to strengthen the registration, supervision and monitoring of optometry clinics in the state.

Eguavoen commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for the recruitment of 18 optometrists last year through the state hospitals management agency, describing the intervention as a step towards improving eye care delivery.

He appealed to the agency to increase its intake of optometry interns to strengthen professional training, build manpower capacity and ensure a steady supply of qualified practitioners for the future.