A team from the Department of Optometry has conducted eye screening exercise for teachers and pupils of the Salvation Army School for the deaf at Swedru in the Central Region, as part of their outreach programme.

The team also presented spectacles to those whose eyes were examined during the exercise. The team which was led by Head of Department, Prof. (Mrs.) Nathalie G. Mensah included Dr. Emmanuel Kwasi Abu, Dr. Samuel Kyei and Dr. Samuel Abokyi as well as some final year Optometry students.

Speaking at the programme, Prof. Mensah said the department was not only committed to training students to become competent Optometrists but also inculcating in them compassion for the vulnerable in society. She said the department identified the school for the screening exercise due to the special needs of the pupils.

Prof. Mensah thanked the Optical Foundation for donating spectacles for the exercise. She noted that the Department of Optometry has received various forms of assistance from the Foundation through capacity building as well as donation of spectacles and other equipment. She also expressed gratitude to the School of Agriculture for providing a bus to convey the team to Swedru.

The headteacher of the School, Mrs. Favour Aflakpui, was full of praise for the team for traveling from Cape Coast to assist them adding that “We are really touched by what you have done for this school and it is my hope that this exercise will be continued every year.”  She indicated that apart from the deaf pupils, there were other pupils with multiple disability and therefore appealed to other institutions to emulate the good example of the University of Cape Coast.