Reports on Outreach Eye Camps in Ghana

Project Report | Jun 12, 2018
KTH Performs First Retinal Surgeries over 3-week Training Program in Ghana

By Angelia Rorison | Communications Manager

The vitreoretinal (VR) hospital-based program at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana represents the culmination of a collaborative and multi-year effort between KATH, HCP, Moran Eye Center, USAID, Alcon, and the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The three week training program started with a week of surgical retina, led by partners from the Moran Eye Center, including HCP Affiliated Ophthalmologist Dr. Paul Bernstein and former HCP International Fellow Dr. Eric Hansen. Also in attendance was Echo Cluff from The Eye Institute of Utah and Kelvyn Els from Envision Africa.

During the week and with support from the master trainers, Dr. Amos Aikins and Dr. Akwasi Ahmed - the two Ghanaian physicians trained in vitreo-retina - provided eighteen retinal surgeries at KATH. These 18 surgeries represent the first retinal surgeries performed outside of Ghana’s capital of Accra.

With HCP support, both Drs. Aikins and Ahmed received vitreo-retina subspecialty training at the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, HCP’s flagship training partner, and at University of Utah’s Moran Eye Center (through an observership). Nurses from KATH have also benefited from specialized nurse training in retina at both institutions. The consortium of partners, including HCP, Alcon and USAID, have provided specialized ophthalmic equipment and supplies for the subspecialty. In addition, the Alcon Foundation supported the training of Dr. Ahmed.

Medical and surgical retina care are integral to KATH’s emergence as a tertiary eye center and comprehensive center of excellence serving the Ashanti region of Ghana. Retinal care is particularly important to KATH due to the prevalence of retina-related medical issues in the region including sickle cell trait and disease, diabetes, infections such as toxoplasmosis and HIV, and traumatic eye injuries. The need for quality vitreoretinal services was identified early in the partnership between KATH, Moran and HCP. This three-week hands-on training program was planned in coordination with Dr. Ahmed’s return to KATH, following training, and was intended to not only provide critical patient care but also surgical training in his home facility.

The training program sought to achieve the following primary objectives:

Ensure KATH is fully operational and capable of providing vitreoretinal surgery
Provide follow-up hands-on training in the trainees’ home facility to ensure continuity of training
Provide meaningful skills and knowledge transfer for surgical and clinical retinal care
Assess landscape surrounding retinal services in Kumasi and identify barriers, needs and opportunities for continued development
Provide an adequate platform for success in anticipation of the subsequent training program with Dr. Govinda Pauydal from Tilganga and other visiting faculty.

*Items from this report from the field were provided by Dr. Eric Hansen

Links:

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Mar 2, 2018
2018 Ghana Stakeholders Meeting

By Angelia Rorison | Communications Manager

Dec 7, 2017
RECORD BREAKING CATARACT OUTREACH IN GHANA

By Angelia Rorison | Communications Manager

HCP Ghanaian Partners complete two successful cataract campaigns, providing 619 sight restoring surgeries

In November, HCP supported two cataract outreach campaigns in Ghana. The first outreach was held in the western region of Ghana, in Sefwi-Wiawso and Tarkwa. Led by Dr. Boateng Wiafe, who is also affiliated with Canadian NGO Operation EyeSight Universal, 175 surgeries were performed, including 5 pediatric surgeries. The following is a short patient story captured at this outreach:

Maame had been bilaterally blind for over 2 years. She resisted having to travel far away from home to get treatment at the outreach. When her children brought her, she only agreed to have her left eye operated on. After her surgery she was able to see her 2 year old granddaughter for the first time. Filled with joy, she asked to be added to the list of patients the following day to have the cataract in her right eye removed. Pledged to return with four friends from her village who needed surgery, and she thanked everyone who made it possible for people like her to regain their sight.

The second outreach effort was in Keta, located in the Volta Region of Ghana, and we had our largest outreach in Ghana to date providing 444 sight restoring surgeries, November 13 - 17!

This outreach was led collaboratively by teams from Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital including Dr. Frimpong, Dr. Raymond, Dr. Aikins, Dr. Fordjour, HCP super volunteer James Garrett and HCP Affiliated Ophthalmologist Dr. John Welling. We were also lucky to have a wonderful group of guests and volunteers from Alder Security, based in Orem, Utah, who provided support to the surgical teams and captured the beautiful photos provided here. The group included CEO Adam Schanz, Mitch Hamilton, James Edwards, Nathan Schanz, Jake Dahl and Photographer Kevin Cox. James Edwards had this to say about his experience:

“My experience in Ghana with HCP was nothing short of life changing. I knew before hand we would be working hard and with a lot of people who live in poverty. I had no idea that meant starting our day before the sun rises and ending it well past when the sun sets, working with hundreds and hundreds of men, women and children. Hoards of people came from all over to see these doctors in hopes of fixing their eyesight. Witnessing their hope and eagerness to see again was inspiring. Just as amazing as these people coming from all over the country was that the doctors performing these cataract surgeries would sit in the operating room for hours on end. Never leaving their station. Working relentlessly and consistently in getting as many eye surgeries done as possible. I was blown away with these doctors commitment to these people that they didn’t know. It was one of the most beautiful and self sacrificing things I’ve ever seen. It gave me a huge desire to come out and do this again. I can’t explain the amount of gratitude I had for being apart of this and working with these people. It’s beyond words. I can’t wait to do it again.”