The Ministry of Health in collaboration with the St Luke’s Catholic Hospital have launched the World Glaucoma Week at Apam, with a caution to Ghanaians to desist from sea water, herbs and concoctions for their eyes.
Dr Yaw Ofori Yeboah, Gomoa West District Director of Ghana Health Service who gave the caution said self-medication was the bane of healthcare delivery in the country.
Speaking at the launch of the week at Apam, Dr Yeboah said instead of Ghanaians seeking early treatment for their ailment at health facilities, many still prefer to go to drugs stores or to the bush to look for herbs.
The theme for the celebration is, “The World is wonder to see Everybody, Don’t let Glaucoma gets in the Way.”
“It is easier for health personnel to treat diseases when they are reported early at health facilities,” the medical officer said, saying “don’t wait for the ailment to get worse before rushing to health facilities”.
Rev. Sister Veronica Adawu, in-charge of the Eye Unit of St Luke’s Catholic Hospital, said when the Unit was created about 10 years ago, they realised that many people in the Gomoa West District had problems with their eyes.
She said before glaucoma could be detected it must have destroyed the eye-sight.
Rev. Sister Adawu said though the Ghana Health Service had targeted the year 2020 for eliminating needless blindness, Gomoa District had targeted 2018 for the elimination of the diseases and appealed to all citizens to get on board.
She said the government had directed all health facilities to conduct free eye screening during the week.
Dr Boateng Wiafe, Regional Director for Africa for Operation Eye-sight Universal, said many Ghanaians mistook glaucoma for cataract which is curable while glaucoma is not.
He said glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in Africa and about eight out of 100 people had the disease.
Dr Wiafe said the disease was hereditary and could be contracted by anybody whose parents had it.
He advised Ghanaians to undergo regular medical examination when they attained 40 years and above, saying glaucoma is a lifelong disease that cannot kill but could only be managed.
Mr Francis Yawson, the Administrator of the St Luke’s Hospital, announced that the hospital had arranged with a team of eye specialists from the United States of America to come and perform glaucoma and other eye diseases checks in the first week of May, 2013 and appealed to all to avail themselves for the opportunity.
