The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) together with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has signed an agreement with UK-based Medical Trust, Mid Cheshire Hospital Foundation Trust (MCHFT), to boost specialist glaucoma and tertiary low vision care and training.
Ghana has the second highest prevalence rate of glaucoma in the world, which is also the second cause of blindness in the country and the agreement is designed to help address this through enhanced services and training of ophthalmic professionals.
Professor Ohene Adjei, Chief Executive of KATH, said under the arrangement, KNUST would be linked to the Manchester Institute of Science and Technology to develop graduate programmes in the vision sciences.
Added to this, he said, was an exchange programme to upgrade the skills of professionals at the Eye Department of KATH.
Prof Ohene Adjei made this known in Kumasi on Tuesday after leading a delegation to Mid Cheshire Hospital at Crewe in the UK.
“The overall aim of this project is to improve eye services through intensive public education, collaborative research, transfer of technologies and sharing of clinical knowledge and best practices, to make our new eye clinic the leading ophthalmic training and service centre in the West African sub-region.”
Prof Ohene Adjei said the programme would initially run for three years.