A total of 225 teachers and health workers in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa (DBI) District have benefited from free eye screening and the distribution of reading glasses aimed at improving productivity and efficiency at work.

The intervention, organised by Bliss Eye Care, a private eye clinic in Wa, took place at Issa and Daffiama over the weekend with support from Sory & Partners@Law. The initiative initially targeted 200 teachers and nurses for free reading glasses.

Out of the 225 people screened, 25 were found to have normal vision, 45 were diagnosed with pathological conditions linked to medication, while 195 were identified with refractive errors requiring corrective eyeglasses. Some beneficiaries were also referred to health facilities for further medical attention.

Speaking at the event in Issa, Madam Genevieve Yiripare, the DBI District Director of Health Services, expressed appreciation to the organisers for supporting teachers and nurses with vision aid to enhance productivity in the district.

She noted that the intervention was timely, stressing that good eyesight is essential for human wellbeing and high productivity, particularly for teachers and nurses whose work involves extensive documentation and regular interaction with students and patients.

“Besides the eye screening and glasses distribution, there was health education for them, which also enlightened them on how to care for our eyes and reading glasses.

“Even those who did not qualify to receive reading glasses have been taught how to care for their eyes so that they will not develop preventable eye conditions,” Madam Yiripare explained.

She appealed to other citizens and natives of the district to emulate Sory & Partners@Law and Bliss Eye Care by supporting initiatives that motivate workers in the area.

Madam Yiripare further encouraged teachers and health workers to reciprocate the gesture through dedication to duty and quality service delivery to the public.

At Daffiama, Mr Remy Segnituo Tenzagh, representing the District Education Director, said the exercise would help improve teaching and learning outcomes in schools.

According to him, some teachers had difficulty reading teaching materials and marking students’ exercises because of eye conditions, negatively affecting academic performance.

One of the beneficiaries, Mr Theophilus Ening, expressed gratitude to the organisers, saying the reading glasses would greatly assist him in his work.

“…when it comes to reading, I have issues with that, so the reading glasses will help me a lot,” he said.

Dr Zakarea Al-Hassan Balure, Superintendent of Bliss Eye Care, explained that the initiative was designed to support teachers and nurses in the district suffering from presbyopia.

“Uncorrected presbyopia has a significant negative impact on productivity in Ghana, particularly among workers over 35 years, by impairing their ability to perform near-vision tasks,” he stated.

Dr Balure also thanked Sory & Partners@Law for supporting the intervention, noting that the initiative would help reduce the burden on these essential workers while improving job efficiency and satisfaction.