Over 1,000 students benefit from free eye screening in Babile

Over 1,000 students in Babile Basic and Brifoh Senior High schools have had their eyes screened for free on International Risk Disaster Reduction Day as well as World Sight Day.

The free eye screening was organized by the Priest of the Roman Catholic Church of Babile, Reverend Zachariah Nabilee, in partnership with Bliss Eye Care under its Blissful Sight for Kids project at Babile.

Some teachers of the schools were also screened under the exercise on Thursday, October 13, 2022.

Speaking at the occasion, Dr. Zackaria Alhassan Baluri, CEO of Bliss Eye Clinic said the eyes screening for the children was under a theme, “Love Your Eyes” to mark World Sight Day as well as raise awareness on the importance of the day set aside to take care of eyes and eye conditions.

He disclosed that a usual trend of diseases was identified in the children including a majority of conjunctivitis, few refractive errors and very few children who would need much attention.

Optometrist, Dr. Zackaria Alhassan Baluri, CEO, Bliss Eye Care

Dr Baluri advised parents of those children with greater sight defects to send them to special education schools where the children are expected to make the most out of education than the regular school.

The optometrist urged the general public to voluntarily screen their eyes at intervals and take pragmatic measures to ensure eye safety as “eyes have no replacement.”

Children who were detected with eye problems were given eyeglasses to aid their condition.

The Babile Roman Catholic Priest, Reverend Zachariah Nabilee said the screening was necessary because “children today are the future and they are vulnerable to society.”

He cited some instances where people with eye challenges suffer in terms of reading and other things.

Reverend Nabilee, therefore, urged the Blissful Sight for Kids (Corporate Club Ghana) to extend the eye screening to other communities to also benefit from it.

One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Ibrahim Kassim, a teacher, was thankful to the organizers as he used to have challenges in reading but was given eyeglasses with which he could see well and can read perfectly.