Bliss Eye Care in collaboration with Former Upper West Regional Minister, Hon. Alhaj Eng Amidu Sulemana organized a free eyes screening exercise for school children and some residents of Djarwia in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region.
The exercise saw a massive turn out of 955 residents been diagnosed of various eyes related diseases and out of the number screened, it was observed that 292 participants were having normal eyes, 636 pathological cases (having issues related to medication) were recorded whereas 19 cases of refractive errors (having issues related to eyeglasses) were also diagnosed. Cataract and glaucoma cases also scaled up to 8.
Medications were shared among the beneficiaries and the team also seized the opportunity and educated the pupils and residents of the benefiting communities, the need for them to regularly do medical check up on their sight for early detection and treatment of eye related disease.
Dr. Zakarea Al-hassan Baluri, Medical Superintendent of Bliss Eye Care says, his outfit partnered with the Former Upper West Regional Minister after the Minister in one of his regular visits to Bliss Eye Care Center reached out to him to extend the Blissful Sight 4 Kids Project to Djarwia and its neighboring communities, hence the August 26, 2023 free eyes screening exercise in Djarwia and its surrounding commodities.
Dr. Zakarea further seized the opportunity and appealed to the public to continue to visit the hospitals for medical attention instead of resorting to the outmoded traditional methods of healing that mostly complicates most of the cases leading to eye losses.
On his part, the Former Upper West Regional Minister, Hon. Alhaj Eng. Amidu Sulemana stated that his partnership with Bliss Eye Care Center for the free eyes screening exercise was purely intended as a way of giving back to his community.
He says the community is very dear to his heart and getting pupils and residents of Djarwia a clear sight was a course worthy of pursuing.
“I go to the Director of Bliss Eye Care regularly to check my eyes, on one of the occasions I realized that he does outreach to some of the communities so I told him that since we are also part of the Upper West Region, we would be very grateful if he could come around to our area, so he said that’s a good idea if I could liaise with the Education authority, so I came and saw the Education Director and Circuit Supervisor. So they decided that they will make Djarwia center under Gwullo East circuit, so the children here could come for the screening, so that is basically why we are here today”.
He underscored the need for pupils to have the best of sight in their educational ladder stressing that, good sight improves teaching and learning hence one of the motives behind his commitment in ensuring that school children of Djarwia have the best of vision.
The Former Roads and Highways Minister also expressed satisfaction over the high numbers recorded for the exercise adding that, similar adventures will be replicated for the people of Djarwia and the adjourning communities.
“I understand over 950 pupils were screened and that’s a very good impression even though we would have wished all the other communities around could have turned out, the number would have been thousands but that’s good for a start” Hon. Amidu stressed.
Meanwhile, the warm reception and the hospitality offered to the Bliss Eye Care team by the Former Upper West Regional Minister and the good people of Djarwia left the team members with blithely moments on their faces as many were still looking back whiles the Sprinter mini bus conveying the team navigates out of the community enroute to the Upper West Regional capital.
In a related development, 865 pupils and residents of Bulenga in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region also went through similar free eyes screening exercise on August 12, 2023.
After the exercise, it was observed that 283 pupils had normal eyes, pathological cases ( having issues related to medication) stood at 531 whereas Refractive Errors ( having issues relating to eyeglasses), 23 cases were recorded. Also 5 people were diagnosed of Cataract and Glaucoma.
Dr. Zakarea seized the opportunity and educated the residents on the need for them to take proper care of their eyes especially their wards.
He adds that quality sight of the child improves upon the child’s development and boost his educational performance hence the need for them to always resort to the hospital first in case of any eye related or medical condition.
By: Saaed Fatawu|myradiowaa.com|92.1fm| |0248265593| sdfatawu@gmail.com |
