Some beneficiaries of the free eye surgeries
Some 387 persons living in selected communities in the North East Region have had free eye surgeries done for them. The number is part of about 2,000 residents who had free eye screening in that part of the country. The residents are from communities such as Mamprugu Moaduru, Mamprusi West and East districts. The exercise was a social intervention project of Kog Kriationz Network, a Tema based Non-Government Organization (NGO) that focuses on issues relating to avoidable blindness, in collaboration with Friends Eye Centre, Eye Foundation of America, Oheneba Kasempa Enterprise and Bank’s Apothecary.
The surgeries covered people who had either gone partially or totally blind due to cataract, and other eye challenges such as toses, pterygium, squint, among others.
Early treatment
The Chief Executive Officer of Kog Kriationz Network, Eric Owusu Gyimah, bemoaned the effect of losing one’s sight. He urged the public to seek prompt medical attention to issues relating to sight, instead of resorting to unorthodox means of treatment. He stated that about 80 per cent of blindness can have been avoided if early treatment is sought.
Mr Gyimah also appealed to eye health personnel to accept postings to some of these deprived communities where their services are mostly needed. He expressed his profound gratitude to Friends Eye Centre, Eye Foundation of America, Oheneba Kasempa Enterprise and Bank’s Apothecary for their support.
The CEO of Friends Eye Centre, Dr Seth Wanye, observed that absence of eye specialists in some of these deprived districts had compounded the wows of the people, hence the need to go to their aid.
Beneficiaries of the free eye surgery, including the chief of Yagaba, Naa Mumini Wuni, and a nine-year-old, expressed their joy for the support. They called on the team to pay regular visit to the area in order to rescue people like them from such predicament.
