By Ifeanyichukwu Ibe
It was celebration galore in Owerri, on Wednesday, November 20th, following the inauguration of Dr. Patrick Iwuchukwu as the new Chairman of the Nigerian Optometric Association, Imo State Chapter. The event followed the state leadership elections conducted recently where Dr. Iwuchukwu and other state officials emerged the winners.
Administering the oath of office, Dr. Adaoha Godswill Onyeachugbulem urged Dr. Iwuchukwu and his team to strive towards moving the association forward with the confidence reposed in them. She advised him to always listen to the concerns of all members in order to succeed. She went further to encourage the chairman to do what is right always and to prioritize the interest of the association members’ welfare. She explained ways of handling challenges when they arise, as she pledged their support to the new state leadership.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Iwuchukwu, hailed their elections to serve as an honour, adding: “We shall use this public trust for public good and we won’t take it for granted!” He thanked the Electroral Committee for the good job, while appreciating the outgone executives for their dedication in service, praying for God’s blessings upon them. He also commended past leaders for their sacrifices as well as those who took part during the last election, stating that NOA won.
Dr. Iwuchukwu, added that his administration which oversees over 200-strong membership in the state would run on a foundation of a well-defined structure, efficient management, and specialized expertise dedicated to promoting members welfare and enhancing the delivery of eye health and vision care across Imo State. He promised to tackle avoidable blindness, promoting optimal eye health, and improving the quality of life of Ndi-Imo.
Soliciting support from members, Dr. Iwuchukwu, admitted the strength of togetherness in achieving success, and pledged inclusive and collaborative leadership. According to him, his administration would be anchored on three strategic pillars of Visibility, Influence, and Progress, while maintaining robust presence across sectors, including education and health. The chairman also disclosed plans to advance the association through advocacies, partnerships and awareness drive and community engagements.
Dr. Iwuchukwu also expressed his administration’s commitment to collaborating with the state government and all stakeholders to address avoidable causes of blindness in Imo State. He noted that the current ratio of optometrists to the population in the state is 1:27,000, which falls short of the globally recommended best practice of 1:1,000.
Before his election, Dr. Iwuchukwu, a distinguished World Bank-trained healthcare leader and policy expert, had an impressive track record in administration, strategic planning, and collaborative leadership, dedicated to improving global health outcomes. He obtained his Doctor of Optometry degree from Imo State University and was inducted as a registered optometrist by the Optometry and Dispensing Opticians Board of Nigeria (ODORBN) in 2010.
He has served as Assistant Coordinator, Non-communicable Disease/National Program on Prevention of Blindness, Imo State Ministry of Health (2017-2018), and Acting Executive Secretary/CEO, Imo State Health Insurance Agency (Dec..2022- Jan.2023). As Head of department, He Received the 2023 Most Efficient and Result-Driven Department award from Imo State Health Insurance Agency. He is also a recipient of the 2015 Optometrist of the Year award from NOA, Imo State Chapter.
Some of Dr. Iwuchukwu’s notable achievements include:
Development of Quality Assurance Framework: Creating policies, standards, and tools for the Imo State Health Insurance Programme.
He is a fellow of the Institute of Policy Management Development (FIPMD) and the Institute of Health Insurance and Managed Care of Nigeria (FIHIMN) and currently the State Coordinator of the Institute.
