Moorfields Eye Hospital has announced a £242,090 grant to provide ophthalmic training and set up eye care services in Ghana.
Staff from Moorfields will volunteer to assist clinicians in the country, increase surgical skills and train healthcare professionals under the plans. Community eye clinics would be set up with help from Vision Aid Overseas volunteers.
The grant was awarded under the UK government's Health Partnership Scheme to the Moorfields Lions Korle Bu Trust, which has been working since 2008 to help raise the funds to build a new eye training and treatment centre at the Korle Bu Hospital in the Ghanaian capital Accra.
Ian Murdoch, consultant surgeon at Moorfields, said: 'The new hospital at Korle Bu is currently scheduled to open in May 2013 and will be the hub for specialist training programmes which have proven successful in pilot courses. We are thrilled to be working with our Ghanaian and West African colleagues to develop their own post-graduate specialist training programme and integrated community-based eye health care model.'
