More Support for Eye Care in Sierra Leone

The Head of the Eye Clinic at Connaught Hospital, Doctor Mathew Vandi, has commended government for supporting eye care service in the country.

During an exclusive interview with this medium, Doctor Vandi stated that since 2010, government has been providing a special budget for eye care and has also provided a scheme of service for eye care personnel.  Through government’s support, he said, the clinic has trained a considerable number of eye care personnel who the clinic have used to extend its services to the Bo, Kenema, Kailahun, Kono, Portloko and Koinadugu Districts. He added that the now effective service of the clinic has dramatically increased the number of eye patients, a situation which, he noted, necessitates the increase of budget allocation to the eye care sector to ensure more effective service delivery.

The eye doctor emphasized that government should give more support to eye care because most of the eye patients are poor and many fall under the Free Health Care category and therefore receive free treatment.

Doctor Vandi pointed out that the clinic performs one of the cheapest eye operations in the West Africa sub region, Le50,000 per major operation but that some patients are so poor that they cannot afford to pay for the operation.

He lauded the Standard Chartered Bank for funding the training of eye personnel, informing that one person has already left for Uganda for training.

Doctor Vandi concluded by calling on government to provide more logistical support, such as more vehicles to make the clinic more effective.

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