According to the founder and president of the See Right Project - a non-governmental organization that educates communities on the importance of eye health, glaucoma is a major health challenge in Ghana and its medications are very expensive, making it difficult for the less privileged to afford, hence the need for a government intervention.
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National Health Insurance should cover glaucoma - Dr Nana Nhyira Boahene urges government
Dr Nana Nhyira Boahene, a doctor at the optometry unit of Ghana’s premier health facility, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital is entreating the government to include glaucoma in the list of illnesses that are covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Dr Nana Nhyira Boahene
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Dr Boahene, a 24-year-old optometrist, has been embarking on free eye screenings in hospitals, churches, and communities among other places across Ghana, in a bid to help prevent or treat glaucoma, which is one of the causes of blindness.
Speaking in an interview with Andreas Kamasah of pulse.com.gh, she said that she is compassionate about people and feels uncomfortable seeing them battle with illnesses, especially blindness, hence she chose to use her expertise in optometry to reduce glaucoma by way of contributing her quota to the betterment of society.
She disclosed that a huge number of cases that are brought to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital are eye-related - a trend she said is disheartening.
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Dr Boahene called for more extensive public awareness creation about glaucoma across the country, especially in rural areas where information dissemination is not at its best. In her view, most people are not enlightened about the condition, its symptoms and why they should seek prompt medical attention.
Aside from her humanitarian work in Ghana, she is a member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), the World Council of Optometry, and is a candidate for fellowship at the American Academy of Optometry (AAO).
Asked if she gets any sponsorship support for her See Right Project to enable her to carry out the apparent capital-intensive eye care activities, she said that aside from her personal little resources, her parents support her project the little way they can.
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