800 school children at Charia community in the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region have benefitted from a free eye screening programme by Bliss eye care, a private eye clinic in Wa.
The screening formed part of the implementation of the “Blissful Sight for Kids” project being funded by Ghana Vision, a Non-profit Organization based in Switzerland, aimed at assisting school kids with visual problems to enable them to pursue their education without problems.
Dr Zakarea Al-hassan Balure, an Optometrist and Manager of Bliss Eye Care told the Spectator that conditions detected during the screening included conjunctivitis, allergies, refractive errors glaucoma, among others. Dr Balure said kids who required reading glasses were provided at no cost as part of efforts by the benefactor to ensure that eye problems did not hamper quality teaching and learning or denied children their right to education.
He explained that one of the most important human organs that needed proper care was the eye and appealed to the public to pay critical attention to their eyes by undergoing frequent screening and seeking early treatment to prevent damage to the eyes.
“This is a free screening exercise but we realize that most of the parents brought their children here and left without waiting to hear what conditions their children suffered from and a discussion on how to get them treated”, he noted with concern.
The President of the Ghana Vision Mr. Martin Roost believed that every little thing done to put smiles on the faces of children, especially for those in less privileged areas, would go a long way to impact their lives positively.
He used the platform to encourage the public to go for check the functionality of their eyes at least every three months to help detect any problems early for treatment.
Some parents expressed gratitude to Bliss Eye Care for the intervention and said bringing the free screening to their doorstep was commendable and proof that Bliss Eye Care was committed to the welfare of children in the region.
FROM RAFIA ABDUL RAZAK, WA.