Some students at the Loggu Community Day Senior High School (SHS) in the Wa Wast District, can now heave a sigh of relief from the challenges faced in participating in class due to eye problems. This was after Bliss Eye Care, a private eye clinic in Wa, conducted free eye screening and treatment services for the students, under the Blissful Sight for Kids (BS4Ks) Project, as their Cooperate Social Responsibility. Children in the basic schools within the Loggu Circuit also benefited from the exercise organised by the Bliss Eye Care in partnership with the Wa East District Education Directorate. A total of 438 children were screened with 95 of them having normal eyes, 328 had pathological issues and were given medication, 14 had refractive errors and were also given eyeglasses, while one person was screened for cataract and glaucoma. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Loggu during the exercise, some of the students expressed gratitude to Bliss Eye Care and its partners for the free services rendered to them, as that would enable them to participate actively in their academic activities. Master Imoro Adams, a student, said he did not know how he could get a new lens for reading after the one he had been using expired, but through the screening he had been offered one. Master Musah Inusah, another student said, ‘Sometimes when I am reading at a point, I will see the words blurred and I cannot read again so I must sit down for some time before I can see to read again. Sometimes I must strain my eyes before I can read, so I am very grateful to the doctor and anyone who is supporting him,’ he added. Dr. Zakarea Al-hassan Balure, the founder and Manager of Bliss Eye Care, reiterated the need for regular eye screening and proper treatment, especially for children to avoid preventable sight loss. He expressed worry about children with eye problems being put on traditional medication, explaining that a child he had attended to was found to have been a victim for the past three years. Dr Balure appealed to parents and guardians to seek proper eye treatment from health facilities and eye specialists rather than resorting to traditional medications, which could lead to the loss of one’s sight. Mr Sobo Abdul-Lateef Jabir, the Head of Supervision at the Wa East District Education Directorate, who represented the District Education Director, thanked Bliss Eye Care for the intervention and stressed the importance of good sight for children to learn. He said early detection of eye problems in children for effective treatment rather than to wait until the conditions worsened at a later stage. Mr Jabir said the District Education Directorate pleaded with the Clinic to also consider organising the eye screening exercise for teachers in the district to help improve teaching and learning.
Source: Ghana News Agency