A Team of Eye Specialists from the University of Utah in the United States of America are to establish a special eye centre at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi to treat glaucoma patients and other eye diseases in Ghana and the West African sub-region.
The eye centre, estimated at about $1.5 million, will also be used to build the capacity of medical officers at the KATH for them to specialise in the treatment of eye diseases.
This, according to the eye specialists, is to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the treatment of various eye diseases prevailing in the sub-region.
The leader of the team, Professor Allan Crandall, who announced this when he donated a quantity of medical supplies and equipment to the KATH on behalf of the medical team said they had already sourced for the $1.5 million for the project to start.
He gave the assurance that the project would start by the end of this month.
The medical supplies and equipment, estimated at $100,000.00, were Phaco lenses for the diagnoses of glaucoma, gloves, blades, syringes, among others.
Speaking to newsmen after the donation, Professor Crandall said for the past 14 years, his team had been visiting the country to treat patients suffering from eye defects.
He pointed out that on the average, the team provided services to about 200 eye patients on each visit, and that about 65 patients had benefited from the gesture since last Monday.
Professor Crandall said they were expected to treat about 135 more patients before they returned to their base in the USA.
He pointed out that their collaboration with the KATH and the building of the capacity of medical officers were in line with putting the KATH on course for them to realise their dream of becoming a centre of excellence of international repute .
He gave the assurance that they would continue to collaborate with the authorities of KATH to ensure efficiency in the treatment of eye defects as a way of putting smiles on the faces of patients suffering from such diseases.
The Chief Executive of the KATH, Professor Ohene Adjei, who received the medical equipment on behalf of the KATH, expressed his profound gratitude to Professor Crandall and his team of eye specialists for their benevolence.
He said their gesture of building the capacity of medical officers for the treatment of eye diseases was also in line with their objective of making the KATH a centre of excellence.
He gave the assurance that the KATH authorities would offer all the needed support and assistance to the team to enhance the capacity of the medical officers at the hospital.
No comments:
Post a Comment