Outreach Eye Camps in Ghana

The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Eye Center outreach team organized a cataract surgical intervention in the Brong-Ahafo region of South Ghana that screened 3,770 patients and provided 237 cataract surgeries.  The clinical team included KATH's Dr. Doreen Frimpong, Dr. Amos Aikins; HCP International fellow, Dr. John Welling, and two residents, Ahmed Akwasi (3rd year) and Prince Amissah (first year). Other team members included Edgard Afour, Biostatitician and Faustina Adu-Poku, bioengineer. 

Dr. Doreen Frimpong commented on social media after the event: 

"I am always happy when I go on an outreach doing cataract surgeries and giving sight to people. My visit to wenchi in the western region of Ghana was no exception. It was filled with emotions and excitement when a 10 year old girl haven been blind from cataract all her life saw the light of day for the first time .After asking her whether she will use her sight to watch TV, she paused and said Dr no I will be going to school so I can learn with my friends who are already in school. Immediately I was filled with joy and happiness.we were able to do this through the help of an NGO. (HCP) and Komfo Anokye teaching hospital eye center.We are greatful to them."

The KATH outreach team dramatically increased its efforts in 2015 thanks to your support, however, there is still a long way to go to alleviate unnecessary cataract blindness. It is estimated that 50,000 cataract surgeries should be performed each year to rid the backlog and keep up with new cases, however, in 2014 the Ghana Health Services only recorded 18,140 cataract surgeries in the entire country of Ghana.