-A state-of-the-art vision centre equipped with optical workshop to provide quality eye care services and ensure glazing of spectacles of all prescriptions for clients, has been commissioned at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital.

The facility, valued at GHS540,000.00, came to fruition through the collaborative efforts of the Regional Hospital and the Upper East Regional Health Directorate.

It received funding support from Vision Action, a Non- governmental organisation and its partner, Else Kroner-Fresenius Stifftung, a German-based organisation.

The facility would serve as a relief to the region and people wishing to correct their vision without waiting for weeks to have their glasses glazed and dispensed in Accra.

It would also contribute to the attainment of the universal eye care agenda in accordance with the standards of the World Health Organisation through reduction in visual impairment cases and increase availability and accessibility to quality eye care services.

At a short ceremony to commission the facility in Bolgatanga, Mr Robert Alibo, the Country Director of Vision Action, said over the years, Vision Action had collaborated with stakeholders in the health sector in the region to train health professionals to provide primary eye care services to school children and communities.

The Country Director explained that the major hindrance to the provision of quality eye care in the region was the lack of a vision centre to help Optometrists glaze glasses for clients who needed such services, compelling prescriptions to be sent to Accra and clients had to wait for several weeks to have their spectacles.

As result, he said, Vision Action collaborated with the management of the Hospital to set up the Vision Centre as part of a five-year partnership with the hospital to help provide glasses at reasonable cost to residents in the region.

‘The whole of Northern Ghana, I think the Upper East Regional Hospital is going to be the only hospital that would have a Vision Centre with an optical workshop that can serve the needs of the people for eye care.

‘While we do this, we ask the hospital administration to fight hard to get a resident Ophthalmologist because the work will not be complete if we do not have that,’ he said.

Dr John Nyarko, the Resident Optometrist in charge of the Upper East Regional Hospital, noted that hitherto, the opticians at the hospital did not have an optical laboratory to deliver their mandated services and underscored the significance of the Vision Centre to eye health of the people in the region.

Dr Nyarko said the facility was a dream come true and would not only help the opticians to work with the required equipment to improve service delivery but would also prevent situations where people would have to wait several weeks to get their spectacles.

Dr Samuel Aborah, the Clinical Coordinator, Upper East Regional Hospital, commended Vision Action and its partners for choosing the hospital to establish the Vision Centre and added that management would work to ensure that the facility achieved its intended purpose by reducing the prevalence of visual impairment in the region.

Speaking on behalf of Dr Emmanuel Kofi Dzotsi, the Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Ms Diana Awuni, the Regional Chief Pharmacist, Regional Health Directorate, pledged to work with the management to ensure that the facility was maintained regularly, to last long.

Source: Ghana News Agency