More than 300 residents from Adzato and 12 other neighbouring communities in the Anloga District of the Volta Region have benefited from a free medical eye screening exercise held in Adzato. Given the remoteness of these communities and the transportation challenges residents face, organisers provided buses to transport beneficiaries to the screening centre and return them home after the procedures.
Adzato, one of the deprived and hard-to-reach communities in the ‘Shime’ enclave of the district, was chosen for this initiative. The project was spearheaded by the Hoedoafia family, both at home and abroad, in partnership with the chiefs and elders of Adzato. This marked the first-ever community eye screening outreach, bringing free eye care services directly to residents.
The four-day exercise was organised by the Hoedoafia family in collaboration with Torgbui Agbeve III (Dufia of Adzato), Torgbui Dr. Nugble Dormenyotor I (Development Chief of Adzato), Dr. Gameli Hoedoafia, and Mr. Eugene Zormelo. It was made possible through the support of the Light for the Eye Centre in Holland, led by Dr. Johannes Schoonhoven, the Lead Optician Specialist, alongside a team of doctors, nurses, and other staff.
During the program, several clients received basic medications, while others were prescribed specialised eyeglasses to be delivered by the end of the year. Severe cases, including cataracts, were documented and forwarded to the Netherlands for further support and surgical intervention in the coming weeks.
National Coordinator of the Eye Screening Project, Mr. John Hoedoafia, explained that the initiative was designed to provide free eye care to residents who would otherwise have to travel long distances to access such services. He described the exercise as highly successful and said it had motivated the team to plan larger screening sessions in the months and years ahead.
Mr. Hoedoafia emphasised the importance of eye health, noting that some of the cases encountered were troubling. He recounted one instance where a client required corrective spectacles valued at $2,000. He assured that the project would not be a one-off event, revealing plans to extend the services to other regions across Ghana to reach more people in need. He also expressed gratitude to the doctors and nurses at the Eye Department of the Hohoe Municipal Hospital, particularly Dr. Eric Quao, for their immense support during the pilot program in three Hohoe communities.
Dr. Johannes Schoonhoven, the Optician Specialist and Team Lead, said his mission to Ghana was driven by a passion to provide God’s care, which he described as free. He highlighted the advanced, state-of-the-art mobile equipment brought for the screenings and thanked the Ghanaian Embassy in the Netherlands for facilitating the clearance of the machines. The tour began in Hohoe, where more than 120 beneficiaries received corrective glasses.
Assembly Member for the Adzato Electoral Area, Hon. Abraham Apetorgbor Lumor, described the outreach as a dream come true. He appealed to organisers to consider establishing a permanent Eye Clinic in the area, noting that such a facility would greatly improve healthcare access and outcomes for residents.
UK-based nurse Ms. Kafui Sakpaku-Botchway, who was part of the team, praised Dr. Schoonhoven’s unmatched passion and selfless service. She described the trip as exciting, motivating, and rewarding, highlighting the importance of giving back to society and supporting the poor and needy in rural communities.
Ms. Sakpaku-Botchway urged Ghanaians to take eye health seriously, lamenting that many neglect regular check-ups. She called for a paradigm shift and urged the government to intensify educational campaigns on eye care. She also advised citizens to adopt healthier diets, emphasising the benefits of vegetables such as carrots over starchy foods common in rural diets.
The decision to extend the exercise to Adzato and its sister communities followed a successful pilot in the Hohoe Municipality, where 120 residents received eyeglasses, medications, and other treatments.
