TEACHERS CAUTIONED AGAINST HITTING CHILDREN'S HEAD (PAGE 26)

TEACHERS have been cautioned against hitting the head of pupils as that can affect their eyes.
The Krachi West District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Douglas Koranteng, gave the warning at an outreach programme for eye patients at Kete-Krachi in the Volta Region.
More than 283 cataract patients were given emergency treatment free-of-charge.
Health personnel from the Eye Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra undertook the programme that was sponsored by the Krachi West District Assembly.
Other collaborating agencies were the Krachi West Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, the Krachi West District Hospital and Sight Savers Ghana.
Mr Koranteng said the initiative sought to consolidate the government’s resolve to bring specialist health care to the doorstep of the rural people.
He stated that transport arrangements had been made to convey patients to and from their communities with the assembly bearing the cost of drug not covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The Head of the Eye Unit of the Teaching Hospital and leader of a 10-member ophthalmologist team, Dr Seth Lartey, said their presence at Kete-Krachi served as part of their social responsibility to the people.
Dr Lartey said other eye-related ailments like allergies, glaucoma, among others, were also receiving attention.
He stressed that the sight of half of the blind population in the country could be restored through simple and cost effective operation.
He warned that applying concoction to the eye usually caused more harm than good.
Dr Lartey, therefore, urged the public to report all eye related problems early to the nearest health facility to prevent blindness, explaining that there was a correlation between cataract and old age.