The Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has inaugurated a Surgical Eye and Training Centre at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital aimed toward reducing preventable blindness in the Central Region.

The 33-bed facility, equipped with three modern operating theatres, is the first of its kind in the region and will serve as a referral hub for neighbouring regions.

It will provide comprehensive eye care services, including cataract and glaucoma management, refractive care, and advanced posterior segment treatments. The Centre is expected to significantly ease the burden on patients who previously had to travel long distances to access specialised eye care.

Dr Ayensu-Danquah noted that cataract remains the leading cause of preventable blindness in Ghana, with many patients unable to access timely surgical intervention. 

She disclosed that outreach programmes linked to the Centre have already screened over 90,000 people and successfully treated more than 9,000 eyes, highlighting both the scale of need and the impact of sustained investment in eye health.

The project received critical support from development partners, including USAID, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Cure Blindness Project. Government also facilitated the initiative through tax waivers and exemptions on donated medical equipment.

The Deputy Minister described the centre as a transformative milestone toward achieving Universal Health Coverage.

She emphasised that the project aligns with the National Eye Health Policy and reflects a renewed national commitment to ensuring that no Ghanaian lives with avoidable blindness.