Bibiani(W/R), July 24, GNA - The management of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi in collaboration with the management of Bibiani Government Hospital and Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai (BAB) district assembly, have organised a four-day outreach programme for people with various eye related diseases in the district and Sefwi-Wiawso district in the Western region.

The programme, which formed part of the KATH Eye Department's activities to bring eye care services closer to the doorsteps of people due to lack of such services in the area and the inability of the people to travel long distances for medical care.

About 1,178 people were screened for various eye problems. Among the common eye diseases identified were refractive errors, squint, allergies, pterygiums, vernal congetivities, cornea ulcer, cornea scar and immature cataract.

One hundred and fifty patients whose cases were found to be severe were selected for surgeries.

Dr Seth Lartey, Head of Eye Department of KATH and leader of the team, said cataract had been identified as one of the major cause of blindness among people in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He said Western Region had only two qualified Ophthalmologists hence the need for frequent outreach programme by KATH to enable more people had easy access to eye care and treatment to prevent blindness among the people.

Dr Joseph Amoabeng, Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District Director of Health Services, said one per cent of the 124,000 people in the district had gone blind as a result of cataract infection. He pledged to sustain the exercise to ensure that majority of the people in the area were screened and treated of all eye-related problems.

Dr Kwaw Nfodu, Medical Superintendent of Bibiani Government Hospital, appealed to companies and organisations in the district to assist the newly established eye centre at the hospital to expand its facilities to cater for the increasing eye patients in the area.