Summer 2008: 973 Surgeries in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana

Unite For Sight, Crystal Eye Clinic in Accra, and Charity Eye Clinic in Kumasi, collaboratively provide eye care to patients living in extreme poverty in Ghana. Unite For Sight visiting volunteers work with Ghanaian ophthalmic nurses to provide eye care in remote rural villages that are located 1-5 hours from Accra. The team of eye nurses and Unite For Sight volunteers are transported on a van to the villages during the morning, and they return to Accra in the late afternoon. In the villages, more than 100 patients each day receive an exam, diagnosis, eyeglasses, medication, and treatment. Patients requiring ophthalmic care and surgery are transported from the villages to Accra's Crystal Eye Clinic for care and for sight-restoring surgery by Dr. James Clarke. Between January and August 2008, 1,337 surgeries were coordinated and sponsored by Unite For Sight at Crystal Eye Clinic, including 731 surgeries during Summer 2008.

Unite For Sight established a new program in Summer 2008 with Charity Eye Clinic in Kumasi. The volunteers and an ophthalmic nurse traveled from Accra for 14-day overnight outreaches in the Kumasi region during June, July, and August. The three 2-week programs resulted in eye care for more than 3,500 patients and surgery for 242 living in extreme poverty.

In addition to providing surgery for patients, tens of thousands of other patients living in remote villages received comprehensive eye exams by ophthalmic nurses and ophthalmologists, diagnosis, medication, and eyeglasses. The eye care and medication for the patients are coordinated and sponsored by Unite For Sight.

Dr. Twumasi, the ophthalmologist at Charity Eye Clinic, explained the gratitude expressed by the patients after having their sight restored: "An old man brought pineapples and said please give these to the one who paid for my surgery and helped me to see again. The testimonies are many and I am grateful to you for the opportunity you gave me to be part of what Unite For Sight is doing for needy eye patients."

From January to August 2008, a total of 92 volunteers participated in Unite For Sight's programs in Accra and Kumasi, including 75 volunteers during Summer 2008. The volunteers, most of whom are students and other non-eye care professionals, participate in Unite For Sight's specialized pre-service training and orientation prior to traveling abroad. Unite For Sight's research, experience, and evaluation enabled the organization to develop a highly successful training process, which ensures that volunteers are fully prepared to contribute to the success of the Unite For Sight programs. Unite For Sight's volunteers make a high impact difference while participating abroad.

Those interested in volunteering abroad in Ghana may find complete details about the program online at http://www.uniteforsight.org/volunteer-abroad

About Unite For Sight

Unite For Sight® is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that empowers communities worldwide to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness. Unite For Sight's unwavering commitment to creating a real, lasting impact involves three types of programs: chapters in North America, international eye care outreach programs, and an annual global health conference. Unite For Sight has trained more than 4,500 volunteers who work in their local communities and abroad to provide eye health programs for those without previous access and has provided eye care services to more than 600,000 people worldwide.

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