Aimalohi Ehimiaghe 
A real estate agent and former bank driver, Mr Idowu Ayoola has called on government officials, celebrities, corporate bodies and philanthropic organisations to donate N17.4 million financial support to assist him fund eye surgery.
In an interview with the New Telegraph recently, Ayoola said the surgery is needed to rectify his sight following the complete blindness he had suffered after a radiotherapy treatment.
Ayoola said the surgery will be carried out at the Max Hospital, Gurgaon – Gurugram, India. According to the plan, the Max Hospital in Gurgaon said the patient needs cornea transplant to see again. The estimated cost of surgery is U.S $10,900.
The breakdown of the surgery reads in parts: Ophthalmic Outpatient Department (OPD) management cost approximately 300-500 USD, Surgery cost approximately 5,500 USD, cost of stay in India: approximately 500 USD, cost for travel to India: approximately 4,000-4,400 USD (for patient and one attendant of round trip).
However, the estimated cost of treatment considering the U.S Dollar/Naira exchange rate is N17.420 million. Nigerians who are touched to donate towards this course may send the financial assistance to: 0045081436, Ayoola Idowu Oluwasonmi, Sterling Bank. Mr Ayoola can be reached on this telephone number: 08031117606.
I Recall that Mr Ayoola had accused the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, Oyo State of medical negligence, alleging that improper use of a radiotherapy machine during his treatment resulted in his blindness. Despite Ayoola’s complaints of vision loss, the hospital has reportedly not done anything to rectify his situEzeh ation.
According to him, UCH had invited him to a panel in September 17, last year asking him if he believed that it is the improper use of the radiotherapy machine that damaged his eyesight, he then said he is 100 per cent sure that it is the improper use of the machine that got him blind.
Mr. Ayoola also noted that he explained to the panel that the first time he was put into the radiotherapy machine at UCH, his eyes were not covered. However, it’s not something he was familiar with.
So, he had no idea; he only observed that his eyes were supposed to be covered during the second and third radiotherapy session when the doctors covered his eyes.
The hospital at the end of the meeting said they would get back to him through his human rights activist and his organisation, however Mr. Idowu said they haven’t responded till date.
He also disclosed that the petition his human rights activist wrote to the UCH authorities was also sent to the minister of health and minister of justice at Ibadan and Abuja respectively but there has not been any response from them since it was written and sent in June 2024.
