SVOSH-KNUST Organizes Eye Screening for Students at Life Community Vocational Special School
On August 3, 2023, the Students Chapter of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (SVOSH) at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) organized a free eye health screening for students at Life Community Vocational Special School at Deduako, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
Life Community Special Vocational School enrolls children with a range of disabilities, including hearing impairment, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and physical deformities among others. The core mission of the school is to empower intellectually challenged students by providing them with the necessary attitudes and vocational skills through dedicated training programs.
Ocular problems in children with special needs often receive less attention. In view of this, volunteers of SVOSH-KNUST visited the institution to conduct a comprehensive eye health assessment. Several tests comprising evaluations of visual acuity, cover tests, and ophthalmoscopy were performed. These assessments were conducted among both students and the school's teaching and non-teaching personnel. Additionally, the staff received valuable education on various eye health conditions and learned to identify some common eye diseases.
A range of conditions including refractive errors, dry eye syndrome, cataracts, and allergic conjunctivitis among others were identified and individuals requiring further evaluation were referred to nearby hospitals.
The headmaster of the school commended the initiative for its invaluable contributions to the school community and encouraged other organizations to embrace such endeavors.
