Accra, Nov. 23, GNA - The United States Armed Forces on Tuesday donated an auto-refractor-eye testing equipment and 50 medical books to the Eye Clinic of the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.

The equipment is a diagnostic instrument used in the automated measurement of refractive errors in the eye and valued at 10,000 dollars.

Ms. Mary Carlin Yates, US Ambassador to Ghana, who made the presentation, said the donation constituted part of the US Military European Command's medical outreach programme conducted in Sekondi/Takoradi in August 2003.

Fifty US military medical and support personnel were deployed to Ghana as part of that country's West African Training Cruise Medical Outreach Programme (WATC) conducted between the US Navy and the Ghana Armed Forces.

The team visited nine villages, provided treatment for over 7,400 of the 10,00 patients examined, vaccinated over 1,200 people in a single day, and provided over 900 pairs of prescription eyeglasses.

Ms Yates said the WATC had proven to be an outstanding opportunity for both countries to foster mutual trust, respect, and cooperation by planning, working and learning together, adding that, the presentation of the refractor marked the true completion of last year's medical outreach programme.

She exhorted the Hospital to utilize the equipment to the benefit of the society.

Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Minister of Defence, who received the donation expressed appreciation to the US government and gave the assurance that the instrument would be put to good use.