December 05, (THEWILL) – It has been discovered that some nurses at the Akwa Ibom State Eye Clinic located within the Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat along Abak Road Uyo have been involved in an illegal lenses racket in the last one year without being checked by relevant authorities.
This dastardly act is posing palpable danger for Eye patients in the state as Doctors are helpless since the nurses involved are being protected in the acts by their superiors in the state Ministry of Health.
Speaking with THEWILL correspondent in Uyo on Sunday ,an Optometrist who pleaded anonymity for fear of losing his job, expressed the fear that such practice of selling lenses to patients without proper diagnosis was dangerous and capable of increasing cases of blindness in the state if urgent steps are not taken to check the menace.
“Nurses outsmart Optometrists by selling Lens glasses without prescription to patients in the state Eye Clinic.
“Sales of Lenses to eye patients without Eye comprehensive test/ Diagnosis backup with prescription by qualified Optometrist/ Ophthalmologist at the state eye clinic is the height of quackery in medical practice.”
“This quackery and open merchandise of sensitive medical devices like lenses for eye patients has been going on here in the last one year. This was not done before but some nurses who had support of those in control of the Ministry of Health commercialise everything in the state owned Eye clinic for their own good ” he explained.
It was gathered that Lenses of various sizes and frames are sold to patients from N10,000 , N12,000 and N15,000 respectively unknown to Optometrists Doctors in the Clinic.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Dr. Patrick Eshiet was helpless in dealing with the situation as asked our Correspondent to mention names of Nurses involved in the Eye lenses racket within the clinic.
“We are trying to investigate this racket and punish those nurses in line with Civil Service Rules. But can you mention them to me”? he asked.
“Even if patients with old Lenses request for replacement, the optometrist supposed to conduct test/eye examination before a new one is issued to them ”
One of the patients simply identified as Edet however accused the Nurse of having a personal relationship with the permanent secretary as the permanent secretary did not respond to complaints against the racketeers.
When THEWILL Correspondent visited the State Eye Clinic at Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat , Lenses were seen being sold by nurses for N10,000, N12,000 and N15,000 respectively depending on the frames and sizes without any form diagnosis and prescription by Optometrist/Ophthalmologist in the clinic .
The Lenses racket is so coordinated that there is a standby Point-Of-Sales (POS) machine for quick transfer of money by patients to the seller’s account without receipts from the government.
The Correspondent who posed as a patient at the Clinic was presented with 3 sets of lenses to choose and pay immediately without Diagnosis or any form of examination except to read some text materials pasted on the wall of the clinic.
Meanwhile, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Health Dr Augustine Umoh said the state government has set up machinery to investigate the Lens racket at the state Eye Clinic to bring perpetrators to book in line with civil service rules.
Reacting to the incident , Prof Umoh said the government positioned some persons to check the racket with a view to deal with culprits .
“We have set up machinery to investigate this and take all necessary steps as appropriate”
“Please avail us with the name of at least one of the persons you interacted with to aid our Investigation. Please treat it as urgent before they change the narratives” he demanded.
Samples of the glasses presented to THEWILL correspondent
