Ghana has taken a major step forward in the fight against preventable blindness with the official commissioning of a state of the art 33 bed Surgical Eye and Training Centre at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital.
The facility, the first of its kind in the Central Region, was opened by Deputy Minister for Health Dr Grace Ayensu Danquah in a ceremony attended by health officials, traditional leaders, development partners and community members.
Equipped with three modern operating theatres, the centre is designed to serve not only patients from the Central Region but also those from neighbouring areas as a key referral hub for specialist eye care. Services now available closer to home include cataract surgery, glaucoma management, refractive care and advanced treatment for posterior segment conditions.
For years, many residents in the region had to travel long distances, often to Accra or Kumasi, to access specialised eye treatment. The new centre aims to reduce that burden, easing both the financial strain and emotional stress on families who previously faced difficult journeys for care.
Speaking at the event, Dr Ayensu Danquah highlighted cataract as the leading cause of preventable blindness in Ghana. She explained that many patients delay or miss out on surgery because of cost, distance or lack of awareness.
“Outreach programmes linked to this centre have already screened more than 90,000 people and treated over 9,000 eyes,” she said. “This facility represents a major step towards ensuring that no Ghanaian loses their sight from conditions that can be treated.”
The project received strong support from international partners including USAID, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints and Cure Blindness Project, alongside government tax waivers and exemptions on donated medical equipment.
The Deputy Minister described the centre as fully aligned with the National Eye Health Policy and Ghana’s broader commitment to Universal Health Coverage. She stressed that expanding specialist services at the regional level is essential to closing gaps in healthcare delivery and giving every citizen equal access to quality treatment.
Health officials believe the centre will significantly reduce the number of avoidable blindness cases in the region while also serving as a training hub to build the next generation of eye care professionals.
The commissioning marks a milestone in the government’s push to decentralise specialist healthcare and bring essential services closer to the people who need them most.
