The world’s only accredited teaching hospital on an MD-10 aircraft “Orbis Flying Eye Hospital,” has arrived in Ghana to provide capacity training for eye specialists in the country.
Expected to spend three weeks in the country, the hospital would equip specialists in sub-specialised eye care services such as paediatric ophthalmology, glaucoma and cataract surgery, strabismus, oculo-plastics and retinal surgery to boost the nation’s capability in managing eye health.
The intervention on the invitation of government is in line with achieving vision 2020 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) which encourages member-countries to eliminate the main causes of all preventable and treatable blindness as a public health issue.
At a brief colourful ceremony in Accra yesterday, the Vice President, Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia in a speech read on his behalf, recounted the long standing relationship between ORBIS and Ghana in the area of eye care particularly trainings where ORBIS provides hands on training to staff of hospitals and the use of tele-medicine platform and cyber-sights.
“Cybersight offer an online training and remote surgical mentorship opportunities which provides global communities with learning, sharing and practices for eye health professionals,” he said.
The three-week programme, the Vice President explained would partner two hospitals; the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions respectively, involving nurses, optometrists, biomedical engineers and anaesthetists.
He expressed government commitment to advancing eye care in the country hoping for “Orbis’ intervention in other areas for comprehensive development in eye health.”
“We are looking forward to nurturing and growing the partnership and providing the relevant support to ensure a successful long-term partnership that will be mutually beneficial to Ghana and to Orbis,” Dr Bawumia noted.
Deputy Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Anthony Ofosu noted that armed with a current baseline of the trend of eye diseases in the country, the service was poised to develop effective strategies and cost effective interventions to promote quality eye care services.
He mentioned among others that a national cataract outreach programme had been put in place to deal with perennial low numbers of cataract surgeries in the country whilea framework for diabetic retinopathy service is being developed to put systems of care in place to ensure that the retina of people with diabetes are well checked anytime they visit an eye care centre.
Dr Ofosu submitted that Orbis in partnership with GHS would focus attention subsequently on child eye health services “to establish and develop comprehensive paediatric eye care services as none currently exists.”
“The specific goal of this intervention will focus on the primary level and at district hospitals to increase uptake of eye health services by children in four districts; Afigya Kwabre, AtwimaKwanwoma, Bosomtwe and Ejisu in the Ashanti Region through multiple interventions,” he stated.
The Minister of Aviation, Joseph Kofi Adda called for partnership with the health sector to expand medical services in the aviation industry as personnel were often exposed to bacterial infection and other epidemics.
“Eye care is important in the aviation space. We need people with good eye sight to pilot our aircrafts, to manage traffic among others and in an area where people have phobia for flying, we need to expand health services in the sector to save lives.”
Dr Hunter Cherwek, Vice President, Clinical Services with ORBIS, applauded Ghana for taking bold steps to improve eye care assuring that his outfit was ready to apply technology and innovation to equip specialists to deliver proper care to patients.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
