The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has installed N3 billion worth of ophthalmology equipment in Borno State Eye Hospital in Maiduguri and commenced a two-week medical staff training programme for the hospital.
Speaking to journalists at the hospital yesterday in Maiduguri, the MD/CEO of the NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, said the programme began with the installation and coupling of the N3 billion state-of-the-art ophthalmic equipment, and the commencement of two weeks of hands-on technical and clinical training sessions for medical staff and technicians on the handling and maintenance of the equipment.
Alkali said these initial activities are focused on ensuring that the advanced equipment recently deployed by NEDC is fully operational and optimally configured to support high-quality eye-care service delivery in Borno and the North-East region.
He said the training is being led by Prof. Abdull Mohammed Mahdi, a highly respected expert and Chief Consultant in Ophthalmology. Also co-facilitated by Dr Abuh Sunday, Chief Consultant in Ophthalmology, supported by a team of experienced specialists in Ophthalmology and Biomedical Engineering. Together, they bring decades of clinical, academic, and technical expertise to this capacity-building initiative.
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The MD/CEO of NEDC said the training is designed to enhance surgical and diagnostic capacity, improve clinical outcomes for cataract and glaucoma patients, and strengthen the hospital's ability to deliver safe, modern, and efficient eye-care services.
They added that, importantly, the programme also supports the long-term objective of positioning Maiduguri Eye Hospital as a regional centre of excellence for ophthalmic care.
"Also being trained are Consultant Ophthalmologists, Resident Ophthalmology Doctors, Ophthalmic Nurses, and Biomedical Engineers from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Aside from this training intervention, the Commission is undertaking significant infrastructure upgrades and renovations at the Maiduguri Eye Hospital to improve clinical spaces, support the use of modern equipment, and enhance the overall patient experience. These upgrades further reinforce NEDC's integrated approach to health-sector development, combining infrastructure, equipment, and human capacity investments.
"Beyond Borno State, the Commission is also advancing similar high-impact ophthalmic interventions across the North-East. Notably, the construction of an ultra-modern Eye Institute at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, that commenced last year, is scheduled for accelerated implementation this year.
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"This intervention could not have come at a better time, as it combines strategic investment in modern medical infrastructure with deliberate human capacity development. By aligning the deployment of advanced equipment with structured professional training, the Commission is tackling avoidable blindness, expanding access to specialist care, and strengthening the resilience of tertiary health institutions across the North-East," the NEDC boss said. End
