The 2005 year group of St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School (SHS), Accra, has organised eye screening and treatment exercise for current students of the school.
A total of 600 students were examined by a team of four optometrists and three assistants from ADK Medical Services and Filter Eye Care on Thursday, 27 September 2018.
The exercise was aimed at improving the eyesight of students to facilitate learning and academic work.
The event formed part of activities to officially launch the 2005 Old Toms year group.
The students underwent vision screening to identify visual impairments and eye-related diseases.
The bills for consultation, diagnosis, referrals and treatment for minor eye-related diseases as well as prescription lenses, were footed by the 2005 Old Toms.
Teaching and non-teaching staff also participated in the exercise.
School authorities revealed that the necessary arrangements will be made to communicate major eye-related issues to the respective parents and guardians of the students.
Some of the Old Toms used the opportunity to share their success stories with the students and emphasised how a holistic training in the Catholic school has helped to shape their lives and equip them to face the future.
Executive Secretary of the 2005 Old Toms, Emmanuel Okpoti Adjei, expressed delight about how successful the event went.
“We noticed that the government did a health screening for freshers, however, continuing students did not get the chance to be screened. So, we decided to organise the eye-screening to help the students deal with any visual health cases. It looks like most of the students could not afford, as some were aware that they had eye issues. So, it was a good gesture for us to step in,” he elaborated.
He revealed that the 2005 Old Toms will be embarking on other developmental projects for the school and an end-of-year get-together to strategise for the following year.
In view of that, he urged all 2005 year group members, both at home and abroad, to get in touch with the executives and contribute to uplift the image of the school.
Dr Daniel Edem Afram, Chief Optometrist at ADK Medical Services, highlighted the need for individuals to take proper care of the eyes.
He explained that some of the students were diagnosed with refractive cases and eye care needs, for which some parents will not be able to afford, and was glad that the 2005 Old Toms have gone further to cater for the treatment and provision of spectacles for the students.
Dr Afram said Ghana ranks high in glaucoma prevalence, hence the need for regular check-ups.
“We have a long way to go in terms of eye care in the country in terms of accessibility and the cost involved,” he lamented.
He, therefore, encouraged the government and stakeholders to ensure that all health facilities in the country are provided with well-equipped eye centres.
Dr Afram advised the public to desist from excessive consumption of junk food and cautioned against the purchase of over-the-counter medication without proper eye examination by a specialist.
For her part, the Assistant Headmistress in charge of Academics at St. Thomas Aquinas SHS, Mrs Adelaide Boye lauded the 2005 Old Toms for the exercise, as she highlighted the importance of vision, which has a direct correlation to academic work.
“It is an eye-opener, as some of the students did not even know that they had eye issues. It will help most of the students because the eyes form an essential part when it comes to academic work,” she said.
She commended the Old Toms for being proactive and taking up projects that will inure to the benefit of the school.
She encouraged the Old Toms to undertake more initiatives including the upgrading of the school’s ICT labs, provision of computers and other office equipment, roofing of the examination centre, provision of an ultra-modern library with modern books and e-learning materials; and construction of an assembly hall or auditorium for the increasing population of students.
By David Apinga
