The training equipped participants on how to enter data such as eye diseases, the surgeries performed, equipment and its state amongst others, onto the District Health Information Management System (DHIMS).

The training, held in Tamale, was organized by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) with support from the Swiss Red Cross (SRC). Dr James Addy, Head, Eye Care Unit of GHS, said the training, which would ensure enhanced data collection, also marked the beginning of migrating eye health data of the region onto the national grid for better analysis and treatment for patients.

Dr Addy said the Region was the second highest in eye care treatment in the country and commended all stakeholders for their hard work, which was helping to restore sight to many in the country.

Mr Thomas Okollah Oyugi, Country Representative of SRC, whose speech was read on his behalf, expressed the commitment of SRC to continue supporting materially and financially the Eye Health programme in the country especially in the development of human resource necessary to provide the service to the population.

Mr Okollah Oyugi said “Our call as SRC, working together with Ghana Red Cross Society is for more integration and   development   of   sustainable   approaches   to   the   current   challenges   in   Eye   Care programming. Integration of partner efforts;   Integration of approaches and; Integration  of Resources to ensure that the least resources invested gave the largest possible returns for the benefit of the populations.”

He said “We are also happy to note that the Government has taken critical steps to upgrade the staff training to degree level.  We would be happy to see the Eye Health Policy effected to ensure the quality and standards are regulated, and SRC remains available to support the process to its finality.”

He assured that SRC would continue investing in the planning for effective eye health in the country, adding, through the DHIMS training, the planning and monitoring would get better as the data collection, recording, analysis and presentation was improved.