The Minister of Health, Alex Segbefia on Wednesday inaugurated the first ever Specialist Indian Eye Hospital in Accra to cater for the treatment of all eye conditions and surgery.
The $2 million state of the art facility is the first to be built in Ghana and second in West Africa by the Indian group, Dr. Agarwal’s Group of Eye Hospitals.
Inaugurating the Eye Hospital at Tesano in Accra, Alex Segbefia said he is “confident the new centre will provide world class ophthalmic solutions to the people of Ghana as statistics have shown that at least 1% of the population is blind and another 3% considered visually impaired.”
Mr. Segbefia called on hospitals across the country to “make eye care management a priority,” while indicating that government has made significant investments in health care through the construction of the University of Ghana Teaching Hospital at Legon, the Ridge Hospital project among many others.”
Quoting Ghana Health Service statistics, Mr. Segbefia indicated that “with the increasing population of the country, there are just about 90 ophthalmologists serving the over 25 millions Ghanaians with about 50% of this number based in Accra leaving other areas deprived especially the three regions of the North.”
Mr. Segbefia said the health facility will help make Accra the hub of eye care management.
Speaking at the inauguration of the facility, Chairman of the Dr. Agarwal Group, Prof. Dr. Amar Agarwal, said the hospital will “make Accra the Mecca of eye care for the entire West Africa.”
He also said the hospital with its specialized services will help boost medical tourism in the country while preserving and generating foreign exchange.
Prof. Agarwal said the Group “aims at providing accessible and affordable eye care services and treatments to Ghana and its neigbours by opening this facility.”
He further stated that the advanced diagnostics and eye care treatment with optical facility ensures comprehensive eye care under one roof will save time, money and the stress of travelling abroad for the treatment of eye conditions”
Ghanaian Ophthalmologist and Medical Director of the Dr. Agarwal Eye Hospital, Dr. Asiwome Senadza indicated that “with this facility in place, Ghanaians will no longer have to bear the stress of travelling abroad to access world class eye care and treatment.”
According to Dr. Seneadza, the hospital will also serve as research hub and a centre for building capacity of Eye Specialists across the sub region.”
The 14,000 Sqft. facility was inaugurated in the presence of the Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr. Jaswant Singh and other dignitaries.
The hospital through its 57 years of delivering world class eye care and treatment has won several awards. In March, 2006, the Founder of the hospital, the Late Dr. J Agarwal was awarded by the former president of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam for his service to the poor and humanity.
The five storey hospital facility has special equipment which include, AB Scanners, Auto Perimeter, fundus flourecein angiography (FFA), Optical Coherence Tomographers etc.
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By: citifmonline.com