Wa, Feb. 16, GNA - The Swiss Red Cross has initiated a quarterly eye care outreach programme, which would cover all the hospitals, major clinics and health centres in the Upper West Region this year. Two ophthalmologists who have been engaged for the exercise have already drawn their work schedule for the year.

People with various eye problems are currently being screened by nurses and those with serious cases are being listed for special diagnoses, treatment, and surgery, by the Ophthalmologists when they arrive in the first week of March to begin the programme.

Dr Alexis Nang-beifubah, Upper West Regional Director of Health Services who disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Wa on Monday, said all expenses that would be incurred in the programme would be borne by the Swiss Red Cross.

The outreach programme has been necessitated by the transfer of the only Eye Specialist in the Region who was based in the Wa Hospital, to the Ashanti Region last year.

He announced that the Swiss Red Cross, which is the traditional sponsor of eye care services in the Region, has also donated a Toyota Land Cruiser to the Regional Directorate of Health Services, for the use of any eye specialist who would accept a permanent posting to the Region. In addition, the organization has also decided to rehabilitate a bungalow that was vacated by the eye specialist following his transfer, for the occupation of any new resident ophthalmologist.

Dr Nang-beifubah said his outfit had signed a memorandum of understanding with specialists in other diseases to offer outreach services in their areas of specialization at the Nandom and Wa Hospitals. During the programme, Neuro and Orthopedic Surgeons would be based at the Nandom Hospital, while those for Psychiatry and Gynaecology would be at the Wa Hospital.