Breast milk unsuitable for eye treatment – ​​GOA

Dr. Alfred Gardemor, Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Ghana Optometric Association (GOA), said dropping breast milk on the eye is not appropriate for treating eye related problems.

He said that breast milk has its components that fight infections, which is why breastfeeding a child is necessary in the early stages of a child’s growth.

However, it is not a cure for eye problems.

Dr. Gardemor said it at the launch of “GNA-GOA: My Eye!” My Vision!”, a collaborative public awareness campaign between the Association and the Ghana News Agency to promote the need for people to access eye care and also to draw attention to vision health.

The initiative also aims to inspire the public and policy makers to focus on vision as a health issue, which is an essential but often overlooked part of human well-being.

Dr Gardemor, who is a doctor at Nsawam Government Hospital, said that as breastfeeding helps fight infections, people have opted to use it to fight eye infections.

He said dropping breast milk on the eye made the problem worse because it
makes the bacteria on the eye bigger and stronger to fight them.

Dr Gardemor said the eye is a very sensitive organ and any problems should be reported to the eye clinic for solutions.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Dr. Remi Ninkpe, who is the National Chairman of the GOA, urged Ghanaians to take their vision health seriously.

He said that although Ghanaians are afraid of losing their sight, most do not pay attention to their eye health, adding that “visit an optometrist at least once a year to avoid losing your sight or having to pay costly eye surgery to correct visual impairment”. .

DSP Ninkpe explained that blindness affects both the economy and the individual.

“Let’s give every Ghanaian accurate information so that we can all make great health care decisions.

“If we are all well-informed, we can make better decisions and be more proactive about our eye health in particular, as well as our overall well-being,” Dr. Ninkpe said.

Mr. Albert Kofi Owusu, Managing Director, Ghana News Agency, on the importance of collaboration for the GNA-GOA: My Eyes! My vision! Initiative said the Agency was a very powerful institution as the nation’s only news service.

Mr. Kofi Owusu reported that research conducted by the National Media Commission revealed that around 80% of radio stations outside Accra relied heavily on GNA to operate, hence partnering with the Agency to the advocacy campaign was commendable.

“What this means is that people need GNA because we are the live communication wire in Ghana, just like Reuters, CNN and BBC, we are very crucial,” Mr. Kofi Owusu noted. .

Rev. Emmanuel Kwesi Ofori, Minister responsible for the Central Assemblies of God Church, Tema Community Four, who chaired the event, called on the government to support the Ghana Optometric Association to improve its services in the country.