MP urges Ghanaians to go for regular eye check-up

Abofour (Ash), June 10, GNA - Dr Owusu Achaw Duah, Member of Parliament for Offinso South, has urged Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of going for regular eye check-up to help protect and improve their vision.

He said for instance that, diseases like cataract, myopia and glaucoma which were very prevalent among the citizenry could be corrected promptly if early medical treatment was sought.

Dr Duah, who is also a medical consultant gave the advise on Monday at a durbar to climax a health screening exercise at Abofour in the Offinso Municipality in the Ashanti Region.

The exercise was initiated by the MP and conducted by a 16-man medical team from "Charity Beyond Borders", a health NGO based in the United States of America (USA).

It was replicated at Namong, Amoawi and Offinso New Town and saw over 5,000 people including Nana Wiafe Akenten, Omanhene of Offinso and his elders being screened for high blood pressure, eye-related diseases, hypertension and diabetes.

The NGO gave medication to beneficiaries who suffered from minor diseases and referred those with complicated cases to seek further treatment at any accredited hospitals. It also distributed over 200 medicated spectacles to the needy.

Dr Duah, who took part in the screening, revealed that a substantial number of those screened were identified to be suffering from cataract and therefore charged the people to endeavour to always protect their eyes from the direct sun rays by wearing sunglasses. He further entreated residents to exercise their bodies regularly so as to stay healthy at all times. Professor Lisa Trujillo, founder of Charity Beyond Borders, underscored the need for Ghanaians to wash their hands regularly after eating and attending to nature's call to prevent them from contagious diseases in the wake of the rainy season. Nana Wiafe Akenten commended the MP for teeming up with the NGO to undertake the exercise and expressed the hope that, it would be institutionalized to benefit the residents.