Africa-Press – Liberia. Jeety Rubber LLC and its subsidiary, Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC), have officially broken ground for the construction of a modern, state-of-the-art eye clinic in Weala, Margibi County.
Scheduled for completion in the third quarter of this year, the facility will feature two fully equipped operating theaters, a digital vision-screening suite with autorefractors and fundus cameras, consultation rooms, and a laboratory for dispensing glasses and low-vision aids.
“This clinic represents one of our strongest commitments to the well-being of the people of Margibi County,” said the management of Jeety Rubber and SRC in a joint statement. “As we create economic opportunities, it is equally important to invest in the health of our communities — ensuring that every individual has the ability to learn, work, and care for their families.”
“The eye clinic will not only serve the people of Weala but the entire Margibi County, offering free screenings, diagnostics, and surgeries to dramatically reduce the financial burden many faces when traveling to Monrovia for basic eye care,” the companies added.
The project comes at a time when cases of undiagnosed eye diseases are on the rise in Margibi County. Last year, a pilot eye-care outreach campaign conducted by Jeety Rubber and SRC identified more than 100 cases of partial blindness, with cataracts and glaucoma cited as the leading causes.
During the outreach in Weala, over 400 residents from across Margibi County received free consultations, glasses, and medication for minor eye conditions. Those diagnosed with partial blindness were referred to the Liberian Eye Center at JFK Hospital for surgery — with all costs covered by the companies.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.3% of Liberia’s population suffers from some form of eye disease, and more than 5% live with moderate to severe visual impairment. Experts attribute much of this to treatable conditions such as cataracts and glaucoma, which often remain unaddressed due to the high cost of care and limited access to eye health services, especially in rural areas.
The Jeety Rubber and SRC eye clinic would then be a game changer as it makes available eye treatment to hundreds of thousands of Liberians, who otherwise may have had their eye diseases go unnoticed for years until reaching a critical and irreversible stage. The clinic would be the first outside of Montserrado County to offer free eye screenings and treatment services.
“The success of last year’s outreach truly opened our eyes,” the Jeety Rubber and SRC management statement added. “Far too many people were living with preventable blindness simply because they lacked access to basic eye care. This clinic is not just a building; it’s a beacon of hope for so many.”
In Liberia, experts note that the leading cause of blindness is cataracts, which cloud the natural lens of the eye, making vision blurry or dim. Cataract is also the world’s leading cause of blindness. While easily corrected with surgery in many countries, limited access to eye care makes them a major cause of avoidable blindness in Liberia.
The second leading cause is glaucoma, a disease that damages the optic nerve and can lead to irreversible blindness if not detected and treated early. It is estimated that more than 70 million people worldwide are affected by glaucoma, with numbers projected to rise to 111.8 million by 2040.
Meanwhile, the Jeety Rubber and SRC have begun the construction of a deep borehole well at the Kakata Central Prison. The project is aimed at solving the prison’s ongoing struggle with severe water shortages, which have worsened already difficult conditions for over 300 inmates.
In addition to the water project, the companies have pledged to provide 30 bags of rice on a monthly basis to ensure that the prison has sufficient food supplies for its inmates.
“Regardless of their circumstances, every prison deserves to be taken care of,” the companies emphasized. “This is just our way of supporting and uplifting the vulnerable segments of our society.”
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