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Chuks Udo Okonta
As part of the ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project of the Company, Premium Pension Limited in partnership with a Non-governmental organisation Charity to Cheer Foundation sponsored a free eye cataract surgery to 75 aged and indigent persons in Zaria, Kaduna State.
A statement by the firm’s Head, Corporate Communications, Aliyu Mohammed Ali, noted that the representative of Premium Pension and Head of Business Development North, Ismail Abdulsalam, in his remarks at the opening ceremony, said the support was part of the Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility interventions, aimed at touching the lives of people at locations nationwide where the Company operates.
He applauded the healthcare providers and other frontline professionals in their ongoing efforts to make available medical care to those inflicted with the cataract disease with a view to restoring sights as well as the Charity to Cheer Foundation for the laudable initiative aimed at assisting the less privileged in the society.
Commenting on the free cataract surgery the Managing Director and Chief Executive officer Umar Sanda Mairami said, “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an integral part of the company’s corporate governance architecture for which we have won international awards.
As a responsible corporate entity, Premium Pension Limited cannot stand aloof when the opportunity to help people in need and contribute to the development of the society arises.”
In his, address the leader of the medical team and Consultant Ophthalmologist from College of Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Dr. Faruk Garba described the project as rewarding, as a day after the surgery individuals can have restoration of vision evidenced by what was experienced during the clinic.
He said, “Cataract can happen as part of normal ageing process as eventually most individual will come down with cataract. He went on to say that the severity to the vision will determine whether an individual will have a surgery or not.”
Dr Faruk, therefore advised individuals with cataract to always seek help from eye care professionals. He commended the effort of Premium Pension Limited for sponsoring the free surgery, which strongly impacted on many elderly people especially those with financial challenge and are unable to get treatment.
While delivering her remarks at the occasion, the President of Charity to Cheer Foundation Dr. Maryam Shehu Mohammed commended the support of Premium Pension Limited to the free cataract surgery.
According to her, the beneficiaries were mostly senior citizens, who could not afford the cost of the surgery at a health facility. Dr. Maryam added that the foundation was still seeking more support and collaborations from other key stakeholders to up-scale the programme.
