UWR: Let’s pay more attention to our children’s sights – Dr. Zakarea urges parents
The Medical Superintendent of the Bliss Eye Care, a leading private Eye Care Clinic in the Upper West Region, Dr. Zakarea Alhassan Baluri has appealed to parents in the Upper West Region to pay attention to their children’s sights by sending their wards to the health facilities for examinations of their eyes from time to time.
He expressed worries over the rate at which school children are diagnosed with various eyes related diseases during the Blissful Sight For Kids Project’s free eyes screening exercise for children.
Dr. Zakarea says, the investments parents are making towards their children’s education would become fruitless if the children find it difficult to properly see from their black boards during teaching and learning stressing the need for parents to consistently have their wards eyes examined and any hidden eye related diseases that could have hindered the child’s future would be detected early and treated.
He says the number of cases that are reported on eyes related diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, refractive errors amongst others indicated that “we are still not out of the woods yet, we are trying our best, Blissful Sight For Kids Project is doing its part but we are still not out of the woods yet”.
He made the call at Jirapa in the Jirapa Municipality of the Upper West Region on October 10, 2024 during a free eyes screening exercise as part of celebrating this year’s world sight day.
As part of celebrating the day, a total of 1,468 pupils turned out for a free eyes screening exercise, out of the number, 205 pupils were reported having normal eyes, whereas pathological (pupils having issues related to medication) stood at 1,182, Refractive Errors (pupils having issues relating to eyeglasses) were equally pegged at 46
35 persons were also diagnosed of Cataract and Glaucoma.
The Blissful Sight for Kids team gave medications to beneficiaries who required such, glasses were also given to those who are required to use classes based on their diagnosed condistions. Referrals were equally to the appropriate health facilities for beneficiaries whose conditions needed more attention and could not be immediately attended to at the time of screening.