PHOTO: FLASHBACK- visually impaired people recently given white cane safety training
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
A survey conducted by the Ministry of Health with funding with the World Health Organization has revealed that about 22,500 people are virtually impaired in Liberia.
The Program Manager of the National Eye Health Program at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Joseph Kerkula, disclosed that the cause of blindness is due largely to cataract.
Dr. Kerkula made the disclosure when he delivered the keynote speech at the program marking the graduation of 20 eye technicians from the Refuge Place International in Paynesville during the weekend.
According to him, those who have been made blind as a result of cataract constitute 64 percent of people who are blind in the country.
“That was closely followed by pressure in the eye and the third place composes of people who will need eye glasses to see,” he said.
“As a National Eye Care Program,” he went on, “we need to what are the impact we are making in combating the causing of blindness in Liberia.”
The Program Manager of the National Eye Care Program explained that Liberia needs eye health clinicians more than ever before because most of those trained to render healthcare in the eye sector are residing in Monrovia.
“There are acute shortage of eye health clinicians in Liberia and the matter is far worst in the rural parts of the rural parts of the country.”
Dr. Fallah
He commended Dr. Fallah for taking the initiative of training eye health clinicians and encouraged those who benefitted from the training to use their knowledge for the betterment of the Liberian people.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Refuge Place International, Dr. Mosoka Fallah unveiled plans to conduct eye check for over 30,000 people throughout the country this year.
According to him, the Refuge Place International is shortly expected to embark of mobile eye clinic purposely to conduct eye check for people in several communities throughout Liberia.
Eye clinicians being trained
He pointed out that the Refuge Place International will also conduct eye check for students in order to ensure that students facing problems to secure glasses
Dr. Fallah noted that he hopes to negotiate with partners in the United States in order to bring eye doctors so as to conduct surgery for the people facing serious eye problems in rural Liberia.
Dr. Fallah also disclosed plans by the RPI to embark of mobile clinics to as to conduct screening pregnant women, babies and baby mothers in the communities
The program was graced by representatives from the Greater Monrovia Lions Club, Good Vision USA, Community leaders, among others.