Standard Chartered Bank’s 'Seeing is Believing Programme' has today announced its final funding of USD 60,000 to the Korle-Bu Ophthalmic Nursing School as it marks 13 years of great socio-economic impact in Ghana.

The funding was made on World Sight Day 2020, whose theme of “Hope in Sight” encapsulates the vision of the Seeing is Believing programme that has since 2007 been helping Ghanaians tackle avoidable blindness and visual impairment.

Working with Operation Eyesight Universal, the funds will go towards the installation of world-class equipment and training of tutors at the Korle-Bu Ophthalmic Nursing School so they can continue delivering the best eye care to patients.

Speaking at a ceremony to hand over the equipment, Asiedua Addae, Head, Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing, Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited said, “Standard Chartered has invested more than GHS 15million since 2007 in eye health projects that range from providing comprehensive eye-care at the community, district and national levels to building innovative eye health delivery solutions in Ghana”.

The Seeing is Believing (SiB) programme comes to a close after 13 years and over 5 million Ghanaians having been touched by its activities.

Over the 13 years, working with partner NGOs, key signature projects have been undertaken including construction of 6 fully equipped eye units complete with surgery facilities and the renovation of 2 existing eye units and a theatre.

SiB also undertook 30,884 pediatric eye screenings at the primary level, 32,508 screening at selected secondary schools and 10,873 pediatric screenings at 5 district hospitals.

Speaking during the inspection of the equipment, Emmanuel Kumah, Country Manager, Operation Eyesight Universal said, “The funding Operation Eyesight Universal has received from Standard Chartered Bank’s Seeing is Believing Programme has really enhanced the work Operation Eyesight Universal has done with the Ghana Health Service in strengthening eye health system in Ghana. Indeed Standard Chartered is ‘Here for Good’”.

“We are grateful for an impactful decade of partnership with Standard Chartered who not only raised a lot of awareness on the issue of avoidable blindness in Ghana but went further to dedicate resources to tackle it” he added.

Speaking after receiving the equipment, Stella Antwi-Boasiako- Principal, Ophthalmic Nursing School, Korle Bu expressed her gratitude to Standard Chartered for supporting the school. She said "The fitting of the skills lab is timely and training of the tutors will contribute a great deal to producing world class Ophthalmic nurses.”

“By funding projects implemented by international eye health organisations, SiB has provided access to affordable and quality eye-care to Ghanaians. Eye-care is a critical component of health care. Working with the Ghana Health Service and building eye-care capacity we have strengthened health systems and infrastructure in Ghana”, Asiedua Addae added.

World Sight Day is held on the second Thursday of October every year with the aim of focusing global attention on vision impairment and blindness.