In a moment that drew applause and admiration from Ghana’s top business and
political leaders, Dr Michael Ekuoba Gyasi, Executive Director of St. Thomas Eye Hospital, was honored as CEO of the Year in Health Care – Eye Specialty at the 2025 Ghana CEO Summit.

The prestigious ceremony, held at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra on May 26th, was graced by none other than His Excellency President John Mahama, who personally presented the award.

But this accolade was more than a celebration of professional excellence—it was a powerful recognition of a life dedicated to restoring sight and transforming lives across Ghana and West Africa.

Dr. Gyasi is not just a leader in healthcare; he is a visionary who has revolutionized eye care in a country where advanced ophthalmic procedures were once a luxury afforded only by those who could travel abroad. From humble beginnings as the founder of the North Western Eye Centre in 2010—later rebranded in 2014 as St. Thomas Eye Hospital—he has built an institution rooted in innovation, compassion, and service.

Under his stewardship, St. Thomas Eye Hospital has become Ghana’s premier multi-
specialty ophthalmic group practice, home to eleven top-tier eye specialists across four locations in Accra, Tema, and Kumasi, with a fifth branch opening soon in Takoradi. Each center is a beacon of hope for patients who once believed their vision was lost forever.

One cannot speak of Dr. Gyasi’s impact without acknowledging the stories of
thousands whose lives have been changed under his leadership. From young people
whose lives are threatened by early blindness from glaucoma to elderly patients with diminishing vision from cataracts, macular degeneration among others children born with congenital eye defects to elderly patients battling glaucoma, St. Thomas and its branches the hospital have become a sanctuary for healing and sight preservation.



Since introducing modern phacoemulsification cataract surgeries—commonly known
as laser cataract surgeries—in 2011, St. Thomas Eye Hospital has continued to push the boundaries of what is possible in Ghanaian healthcare. In 2013, it became the first institution in the country to offer advanced vitreous and retinal detachment surgeries using the state-of-the-art Constellation Vision System, a service previously only accessible overseas.

Most recently, the hospital has installed Ghana’s first Twin Star SLT/Yag Combo
Laser—a technological milestone in the treatment of primary open-angle and angle- closure glaucoma, two of the world’s most prevalent forms of the disease.

This offers glaucoma patients in Ghana access to enhanced eye pressure management with effective slow-down of the disease’s progression.

Yet what sets Dr. Gyasi apart is not just his appetite for innovation, but his
unwavering commitment to making quality eye care accessible to all. Through
strategic partnerships with global organizations such as Unite for Sight, and Tufts University’s New England Medical Centre, Charity Vision International and Bright Sight Mission, he has brought specialized care to the doorstep of underserved communities.

In 2018, the hospital’s contribution to eliminating causes of avoidable blindness in poor communities in Ghana was recognized by partnership with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints resulting in the donation of cutting-edge diagnostic and surgical equipment, strengthening its ability to deliver world-class services.

More than 200,000 people have been screened, and over 10,000 free surgeries performed over the past 15years—tangible proof of a mission that sees beyond profit.