Precious D. Freeman
The Liberia Eye Center, in partnership with the Indian LV Prasad Eye Institute, marked its 7th anniversary with a celebration at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital.
The event highlighted the center’s achievements, challenges and future plans as well featured the dedication of a new, fully equipped optical lab aimed at enhancing patient care.
The dedication ceremony was led by the JFK’s Chief Medical Officer, Emmanuel Tamba, and Dr. Dara Prasad Das from the LV Prasad Eye Institute.
The new lab is outfitted with advanced equipment such as a semi-lens edger, lens pattern blocker, drill machine, supra groove, frame warmer, manual lens edger, photochromic detector, and CR39 cutter.
This equipment will enable the center to provide comprehensive optical services to patients.
The head of the Liberia Eye Center, Niranjan Pehere, gave an overview of the facility’s progress over the past seven years and noted that the center has performed 8,223 surgeries, with 48% of them being non-paying.
He added that it has trained four doctors and 22 paramedics, and provided services for 88,072 patients, with 37% receiving free treatment. Additionally, the center has rehabilitated 308 patients.
Dr. Pehere emphasized the importance of addressing the burden of blindness in Liberia and optimizing the utilization of human resources in eye care.
He provided detailed patient care statistics, noting that the Outpatient Department (OPD) services reached 18,930 patients (36% gratis), totaling 96,572 over seven years, and surgeries reached 1,786 patients (50% gratis), totaling 8,252 over seven years. Outreach services were provided to 6,220 individuals.
Despite the impact of elections on operations for three months, the center experienced a 7% growth and Dr. Pehere highlighted the need for rigorous training and self-sustainability, with short-term faculty from India completing residency and fellowship training.
Eight ophthalmologists have provided their expertise over the past year.
The center has also benefited from subspecialty faculty visits from India, including cornea surgeons, retina surgeons, glaucoma surgeons, an ocular oncologist, and an ophthalmic pathologist.
Professor Joshua Owoeye from Nigeria, Faculty Chair of Ophthalmology at the West African College of Surgeons, contributed to the training and development of local staff.
The new lab will allow the center to produce spectacles locally, reducing dependency on external sources and shortening wait times for patients and will also lower the cost of spectacles, making them more accessible.
Dr. Pehere shared success stories, including a five-year-old boy, with syndrome and a nine-year-old boy diagnosed with eye cancer who required chemotherapy.
He also highlighted the challenges in obtaining donor corneas for transplantation and the need for a Liberian Eye Bank.
Dr. Kennedy Chartley, a staff member, has completed six months of training in India on eye bank management, emphasizing the need for legislation, space, and equipment.
The Liberia Eye Center is one of the few facilities in the region offering integrated vision rehabilitation services; thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Girija Pehere from India, who set up these services and handed them over to local staff.
The center collaborates with ophthalmic nurses and non-physician cataract surgeons, further enhancing its service delivery.
The center aims to address misconceptions about eye surgeries and the influence of traditional medicines by building trust and providing high-quality care.
Education and training programs are a key focus, with residency programs for medical doctors, vision technician training, ophthalmic nursing assistant training, and a sandwich program with time spent in both Liberia and India.
The center has also introduced online CME programs and observer ship opportunities for ophthalmic nurses and non-physician cataract surgeons.
In collaboration with the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Ministry of Health, the center aims to produce more ophthalmologists in the coming years. Dr. Pehere emphasized the importance of hands-on training, commitment to patient care, and responsibility to the community.
The residency program is well-structured and resourceful, setting a high standard for the region.
Delivering the keynote address, the Chief Executive Officer, Linda Birch, encouraged Liberians to take advantage of the eye services.
She also extolled the workers who were certificated for their contributions and dedication in providing services to Liberians.
“I want to extoll the Center for the work they are doing. This is very remarkable. We want you to continue to serve this country, especially with integrity and professionalism,” she concluded.
