Dr. Kwadwo Amoah
“I hope for even higher standards of quality care, with cutting-edge technology and more well-trained personnel. That is one of my greatest passions right now, to be involved in the training of our residents”
One of the challenges to halting and eventually reducing the backlog of cataract blindness in the world is a shortage of properly-trained ophthalmologists and eye care teams where they are most needed. The Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP) addresses this issue by conducting skills transfer programs to provide training for eye care personnel at all levels and disciplines. To date, we have provided 160 training opportunities for ophthalmic professionals from Ghana, and we continue to grow this number each year. One such training success story is Dr. Kwadwo Amoah of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana.
Dr. Amoah met HCP Co-Founder, Dr. Geoff Tabin when he was a first-year resident and has been a part of our work in Ghana since then, noting that Dr. Geoff, “has been a mentor to me my entire ophthalmology career.” Dr. Amoah shares his experiences beginning with his HCP-supported Cornea and Anterior Segment Fellowship at the LV Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, India from September 1, 2017, to November 30, 2018. Most recently, he participated in hands-on cornea training with HCP International Fellow, Dr. Allison Jarstad.
“HCP sponsored my cornea fellowship at the esteemed LV Prasad Institute. This has allowed me to provide cornea care to my patients in Kumasi and the Ashanti region. I am looking forward to gaining more training in Uveitis eventually.
There are a lot of examples of progress in strengthening Ghana's eye care systems, for example, sponsored outreach programs to treat cataract blindness have contributed significantly to reducing the burden of blindness. Also, the support of training is so important and has helped Kumasi/KATH train a retina specialist, two cornea specialists, a pediatric ophthalmologist, and a glaucoma specialist. All of this, plus the provision of equipment has truly improved our training and the quality of care for our patients.
In the future, I hope for even higher standards of quality care, with cutting-edge technology and more well-trained personnel. That is one of my greatest passions right now, to be involved in the training of our residents with Improved standards of care. Because I believe that if India has been able to do this, Ghana can certainly do it too!”
The following photo is of Dr. Amoah with the recipient of his very first cornea transplant after his cornea fellowship at LV Prasad. This 11-year-old patient came to KATH with a corneal scar and was able to see again postoperatively on day one, thanks in part to donated cornea tissue from HCP Partner, SightLife. This project was made possible through the Himalayan Cataract Project and LDS Charities.
