By Eunice Hilda A. Mensah
Accra, Aug. 24, GNA – Lifetime Wells Vision (LWV) has conducted 1,398 surgeries on 1,074 individuals and restores their sights in the Northern, Oti and Volta regions in its Eye Care Outreach Programme.
The Outreach also saw the charity organisation distributing medicated eye glasses, eye drops and screening more than 20,000 persons for ailments.
Beneficiary communities include Nakpanduri, Hohoe, Jasikan, Ketu, Kpando, Dodi- Papase, and Nkwanta.
Madam Christine Pomary, the Country Director for Lifetime Wells Vision, Ghana, said the LWV was birthed from the goodwill of Mr Kenneth Wood, the Patron of Lifetime Wells, who was originally into drilling of boreholes.
She said visual impairment had had a significant impact on the quality of life for people worldwide, including Ghana.
The Country Director said many eye problems in Ghana were treatable or preventable, hence prompted Mr Wood to take an action to restore sights and make beneficiaries more independent.
Mr Claver Kofi Lawson, the Project Coordinator, Lifetime Wells Vision, said the programme, also undertaken in Nigeria and Tanzania, had conducted seven outreaches from 2020, treating over 90,079 bacteria blindness and supplying 24,879 eye glasses to people in addition to 9,064 surgical operations for people with varied eye conditions.
He said the programme also conducted a four-tier post surgery reviews for the patients.
Mr Lawson explained that although the outreach faced challenges such as high number of clients, lack of equipment in some clinics and difficulty reaching remote communities, it benefitted thousands, providing a relief from avoidable blindness.
Mr Harold Lumor, Head of Administration, Lifetime Wells vision, said the overwhelming response from participants of the outreach, most of whom had cataract, glaucoma and pterygium (a fleshy growth on the eye’s conjunctiva, the covering of the white part of the eye) was an eye opener.
He said all the outreaches done were from the sole benevolence of the Patron, Mr Ken Wood and appealed to well-meaning citizens to support Lifetime Wells Vision to make sight accessible to everyone.
Dr Kenneth Adjah, an Optometrist on the Outreach’s Medical Team, explaining the procedure, said they did a biometry to determine the intra-ocular lens that the Surgeons needed to restore vision for cataract patients.
He noted that Ocular morbidity was a prevalent health issue affecting individuals across all financial backgrounds, necessitating ophthalmic treatment.
Vision Impairing and Non-Vision Impairing conditions were the leading causes of decreased productivity for patients and their families and the elderly, particularly those engaged in small-scale farming, made up a significant portion of individuals seeking eye care in the regions.
Despite the increasing prevalence of eye diseases, he said access to ophthalmic services in the regions remained limited, failing to meet the demand of patients.
Madam Beatrice Agbley, a beneficiary, said: “For 11 years now, I could not see. I am very happy now. Everywhere was very dark to me but Lifetime Wells Vision came to Hohoe and I went there and they operated on my eyes.
“Since then, I could see everything well. I heard they came to Peki Dzake, so I came to meet them and they also treated me again. I thank them very much because they have made me to see. God bless them.”
A 49-year old relative of a beneficiary, said: “I brought my in-law last week and my wife yesterday and they are all commending Lifetime Wells Vision to me. Like how they talk to them…
A 70-year old patient and beneficiary, said: “You have done what Napoleon could not do. My sight is clear now. God bless you people. I have suffered a lot for the past years. I could also see images slightly from afar but my eyes are very clear now and I can see everything. God bless you.”
“How do you even do that? If all nurses were like you, Ghana and the world will be a better place to live in. God bless you all.”
GNA