TheHealthReport25: Restoring sight, restoring hope: The urgent need to revive cataract outreach programmes

By Ebenezer Chike Adjei Njoku

Blindness should never be a life sentence—especially when it is preventable. Cataracts, one of the leading causes of blindness in the country, can be treated with a straightforward surgical procedure. Yet, for thousands of Ghanaians in rural communities, access to this life-changing surgery is slipping further out of reach.

For over a decade, Save the Nation’s Sight Ghana has been at the forefront of the fight against preventable blindness, conducting free cataract outreach programmes to bring eye care to underserved communities.

Through these efforts, the Clinic has restored sight to thousands, allowing them to regain independence and dignity. And in fact, that is how the Clinic itself started. However, the viability of these programmes is now under serious threat due to drastic reductions in health insurance reimbursements and delayed payments.

The decline of a lifeline

When Save the Nation’s Sight Clinic launched their cataract outreach programmes, they were built on a simple but effective model. The Clinic identified patients in rural areas, transported them to its facilities, performed surgery, and provided post-operative care—all at no cost to them. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) reimbursed the Clinic, and all such other healthcare providers, at rates that covered the essential costs of these services.

In 2007, the insurance reimbursement for cataract surgery stood at approximately US$100 per patient. This allowed service providers like the Clinic to operate efficiently, ensuring that even the most financially disadvantaged Ghanaians could receive treatment.

Today, that amount has plummeted to just over US$20 per surgery—a figure that does not even cover the cost of transportation, let alone medical supplies and professional services.

Compounding this crisis, insurance reimbursements are often delayed for months. As of April this year, the Clinic is still awaiting payments for claims submitted the previous November. This financial uncertainty has made it increasingly difficult for the Clinic to sustain its outreach efforts, forcing it to scale back services and leaving many rural patients without access to care.

But Dr. Baah is quick to note that this delayed payment, itself, is an improvement—years prior, these payments took longer. “Government’s claim payment on the NHIS have gotten better in recent years”, he notes.

The Human cost of bureaucratic inertia

The direct consequence of this funding shortfall is that thousands of Ghanaians who once had hope for restored vision are now left in the dark. Many of the Clinic’s patients are elderly individuals who have spent years struggling with deteriorating eye sights.

Others are middle-aged workers whose vision loss threatens their livelihoods. In every case, blindness impacts not just the individual but entire families, as loved ones must step in as caregivers, reducing their own economic productivity.

Cataract surgery is not a luxury—it is a necessity. It is a procedure that transforms lives, allowing individuals to see, work, and contribute to society again. The financial barriers that now stand in the way of these life-changing surgeries are unnecessary and entirely solvable.

A call to action

As the nation seeks to improve healthcare accessibility, it must prioritise funding for essential medical procedures like cataract surgery. The government and the NHIS must review their reimbursement policies and increase financial support for specialised eye care services.

Prompt and fair compensation will not only sustain organisations like Save the Nation’s Sight Ghana but also ensure that no Ghanaian is denied their right to vision due to financial constraints.

The private sector, philanthropic organisations, and international health partners must also step in to bridge the funding gap. Partnerships and alternative funding mechanisms can help sustain and expand outreach programmes, ensuring that quality eye care remains within reach of those who need it most. Save the Nation’s Sight Clinic has its doors ever open to such partnerships and philanthropic initiatives.

Services provided by Save the Nation’s Sight Clinic

The clinic remains committed to eliminating preventable blindness. Services include:

• Comprehensive Eye Care: From diagnosis to treatment, the Clinic offers full-spectrum ophthalmological services.
• Cataract Outreach Programmes: They conduct mobile screenings and transport patients for free cataract surgeries.
• Post-operative and follow-up care: They have systems in place to ensure that patients fully recover and maintain good eye health.
• Health policy advocacy: They work with the various relevant authorities and private sector players to improve health funding and consequently, increase access to eye care.

Despite the challenges, the Clinic refuses to give up on its mission. But it cannot do it alone. If Ghana is serious about protecting the health and well-being of its citizens, it must act now to restore funding and ensure that no one is left behind in darkness.

A future of clear vision

Cataract blindness is entirely preventable. The question is not whether the country has the medical expertise to treat it—we do. The question is whether we, as a nation, have the collective will to ensure that all Ghanaians, regardless of their economic status, can access the care they need.

Let us not allow bureaucracy and financial constraints to steal the sight—and the futures—of those who rely on these services. It is time to restore not just vision, but hope.

 

Contact Dr. Thomas Baah, Owner/Medical Director of Save the Nation’s Sight Clinic via

233 207 574 425, [email protected] for eye care services, partnerships and/or philanthropic donations towards the provision of eye care services to deprived communities, etc.

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