Eye healthcare facing major challenges in Ghana
By Elvis DARKO, Accra
In a gathering of optometrists from across Africa, the Ghana Optometric Association highlighted seven critical issues affecting eye health in Ghana.
The urgent observations, encapsulated in a Communiqué from the Joint African Council of Optometry and Ghana Optometric Association Annual General Meeting held from October 19 to 22, 2023, address pressing concerns that demand government attention for enhanced eye care services.
Under the theme, “Expanding Optometric Practice in Africa: Focus on Scope, Training, and Legislation,” the AGM convened optometrists from various African nations, fostering collaboration and discussions on advancing eye care.
The Communiqué, signed by Prof Dr. Samuel Bert Boadi-Kusi, National President, and Dr. Yaw Osei Akoto, National Secretary of the Ghana Optometric Association, emphasized several key points:
The communiqué revealed a concerning trend where a significant number of trained optometrists in Ghana had left the country due to poor working conditions and a lack of government posting after completing their education.
The Association anticipates that the ongoing job evaluation will result in improved conditions of service, hoping to stem the exodus of skilled professionals.
Furthermore, the Association stressed the necessity for the government to post trained optometrists who have completed their mandatory one-year internship to underserved Ghanaian communities lacking eye care personnel.
This move aligns with the objective of meeting the 2030 targets for effective eye care coverage across the country.
The communiqué emphasized the urgency of expanding the scope of optometric practice in Ghana, aligning it with international best practices to address the evolving eye care needs of the population.
The Association invited the government’s collaboration to establish an Optometric College, providing specialist training in various fields such as low vision, pediatrics, contact lenses, and ocular diseases.
Expressing concern over the infiltration of quacks in the optometric practice, the Association called for the enactment and enforcement of legislation to eradicate these threats to eye health.
It pointed out the inadequacies in the current regulatory framework under the Allied Health Professions Council and implored the government to establish a separate Optometric Council for more effective regulation.
The communiqué also addressed the limited opportunities for study leave for optometrists in the public sector, urging the Ghana Health Services to allocate sufficient study leave slots for pursuing further studies.
The absence of spectacle lenses in the list of medical supplies regulated by the Food and Drugs Authority was highlighted, posing a risk of substandard lenses entering the market.
The Association called on the FDA to include spectacle lenses in the list to ensure the importation of only quality lenses.
Concluding the communiqué, the Ghana Optometric Association pledged its support to government and non-governmental efforts aimed at reducing blindness and visual impairments in Ghana.
The commitment extends to collaborative initiatives with other professional bodies within the eye care community to achieve effective coverage for eye care services across the nation.
