MISSION STATEMENT

To ensure the provision of comprehensive eye care services i.e. promotive, preventive and curative and integrate it with education and rehabilitation of the incurable blind and the visually impaired. This also includes ensuring that the services provided are assessable and affordable.

AIMS

Nobody should go needlessly blind through cataracts, onchocerciasis, childhood blindness, refractive error and trachoma.

OBJECTIVES

•         To provide a comprehensive and integrated community focus on eye care services in each of the thirteen provinces and urban area within a five year period.
•         To assess the degree and extent of detioration of pre-existing eye care service points and resuscitate them to at least their previous level.
•         To put in place a programme management structure integrated into the Ministry of Health and Sanitation structure.
•        To expand pre-existing service delivery, developing them to provincial eye care programmes.
•         To develop urban eye care programmes in larger towns, starting with Freetown. 
•     To develop and improve community participation in promotive and preventing eye health activities, particularly in the under-served rural areas.
•      To implement specific strategies for the control of the major causes of blindness and  reduce the prevalence rate of blindness due to cataract by at least 50%
•      To train and appropriately deploy well equipped and motivated staff to ensure delivery of quality eye care service.
•         To provide appropriate and affordable technology i.e. local production of eye drops, spectacles, equipment repair and maintenance, information equipment and mobility. 
•     To set up income generating and cost recovery elements to ensure sustainability.

ABOUT THE PROGRAMME

Blindness, low vision and eye diseases have profound human and socio-economic consequences in all societies, the nation, the family of the affected individuals and also to the individuals affected.

The cost of lost productivity and rehabilitation and education for the blind constitute a significant economic burden, particularly in many developing countries like Sierra Leone.

Furthermore, blindness is often associated with lower life expectancy settings. Thus the prevention and cure of blindness can provide enormous savings and facilitate societal development.

It was because of this that the Ministry, in collaboration with its partners and friends (Sight Savers International, Christofel Blinden Mission, Global Ministry (United Methodist Church) and the Baptist convention.),  put together its first five year national eye care programme.

This is planed to address the delivery of eye care services in a comprehensive manner. It is a people-focused with an emphasis on health promotion, prevention and the prioritization of the major causes of blindness.

Staff at Eye Care Services examine and treat patients at their base clinics. They also carry out surgical services at Connaugt Hospital, UMC Hospital at Kissy, Lunsar Baptist Eye Hospital and Bo Eye Department. They conduct screening of school children in Freetown, Bo, Pujehun, Kenema, Kailahun, Kono and Kabala.

The staff also perform optical services (refraction, prescription, glazing and fitting of lenses) at Connaugt Hospital, UMC Eye Hospital, Bo eye Department and the Baptist eye Hospital in Lunsar.

The Eye Care Programme has been decentralized into three eye care projects and they are as follows:

Western Area Eye Care Project

The Southern Province Eye Care Project and

The Eastern Province Eye Care Project.

ACHIEVEMENTS

So far, the unit has been able to perform seven hundred and sixty seven cataracts surgery. This figure is one of the highest attained in the West African Sub Region.

A number of staff have been trained.

This include two ophthalmologists ( additional ones are presently on training), six cataracts surgeons, twenty-five ophthalmic nurses, six refractionists, five optical technicians, four LPED technicians and four instrument technicians.

Our head office is located at the Connaught Hospital, Freetown. 

The unit has produced eye drops locally at the UMC Eye Hospital, Kissy, Bo Eye Department and Baptist Eye Hospital Lunsar.