Minimally Invasive surgery is a medical treatments that required a small incision (cut) or insertion of an instrument into a body cavity; involving minimal damage of body tissue.

The project aimed at providing free cataract surgeries for the needy patients and partial support to all patients undergoing laparoscopic surgeries at LEKMA Hospital as a means to promote minimally invasive surgery in Ghana.

It is sponsored by the 11th batch of China Medical Team, One Heart Foundation, China Enterprises Chamber of Commerce in Ghana, China Beijing United Foundation, China-Ghana Friendship Hospital (LEKMA Hospital) and Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital.

As part of the project, the China Enterprises Chamber of Commerce donated an amount of GH¢170,000 whiles One Heart Foundation and China Beijing United Foundation also gave GH¢170,000 and 90,000 RMB respectively in support of the project.

The Deputy Minister for Health, Mr Mahama Asei Seini speaking at the launch yesterday said, statistics showed that four out of five Ghanaians were found to be blind from causes such as untreated cataract, glaucoma, diabetic, retinopathy and corneal related causes which could have been avoided and that males were more affected than females.

He said one of the major challenge was that, the number of eye care specialist in Ghana was inadequate and called for more people who have interest to pursue medicine (optometry) to venture into the specialisation of eye care.

The minister also entreated beneficiaries of the charity project to become ambassadors, help preach prevention and make sure they take care of the opportunity given them.

He thus commended the Chinese Medical Team and all health personnel who have made their work in Ghana successful especially the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Directorate.

The Leader of the Chinese Medical Team, Dr Yu Dongnan said the project was to assist the needy in society and make medical assistance more efficiency in the country.

He indicated that the project would cover free cataract surgeries for 100 people and partially support for Minimally Invasive laparoscopic surgeries for 50 people.

“We wish more and more medical staffs could join the projects and more Ghanaians and charity community could support the charity found for the following several years,” he said.

The Medical Superintendent of LEKMA Hospital, Dr Akua Gyimah Asante said the project would serve as a key opportunity to re-build and position LEKMA Hospital to achieve its strategic objective of being a model district level hospital in maternal, child health and laparoscopic surgeries.

He expressed the Hospital’s commitment saying, “LEKMA Hospital management and staff are proud to be committed to ‘Minimally invasive surgery in Ghana and seeing the beautiful world charity project’ which seeks to support the needy/disadvantaged in society to access cataract and laparoscopic surgeries in Ghana.

“We believe that having high ambition through strong will and commitment with the support of our partners/ stakeholders, we will be able to achieve the objective of this charity project.”