Opticians have been urged to embrace emerging technologies and strengthen professional standards to improve access to quality optical care services in the country.
Mr Frank Quarshie Ofori, National President of the Opticians Association of Ghana, who made the call, said improving access to optical services required innovative approaches to service delivery, effective regulation and increased investment in underserved communities.
He was speaking at the 13th Annual General Meeting of the Association in Tamale on the theme: “Strengthening Opticianry Practice in Ghana: Quality Care and Emerging Technologies.”
The three-day meeting brought together opticians from across the country, traditional authorities, religious leaders, health professionals and other stakeholders to deliberate on the future of opticianry practice and strategies to improve eye care delivery.
Mr Ofori stressed that quality optical dispensing services should not be concentrated in major cities such as Accra and Kumasi but should be accessible to all, irrespective of their geographical location.
He said rapid technological advancements were transforming opticianry practice, requiring professionals to adapt to emerging innovations while addressing structural challenges affecting the delivery of quality services.
He said the Association was exploring alternative employment arrangements to address the challenges facing trained opticians who were yet to secure jobs.
Mr Ofori called for a more equitable deployment of health professionals to ensure that underserved communities received the eye care services they required.
Professor Issahaku Shirazu, Registrar of the Allied Health Professions Council, urged the media to support efforts to enforce professional standards and protect the public from unqualified practitioners.
Prof Shirazu cautioned facility owners against engaging unlicensed practitioners, warning that violations could attract legal action.
He also urged healthcare facilities to ensure that professionals were assigned duties consistent with their qualifications and scope of practice.
He explained that assigning duties reserved for higher-level professionals to personnel with lower qualifications could compromise the quality of diagnosis and expose patients to avoidable risks.
He said the Council would enforce the relevant regulations to protect the public and ensure that healthcare services were delivered by appropriately qualified personnel.
Mr Ali Adolf John, Northern Regional Minister, whose speech was read on his behalf, commended the Association for its contribution to healthcare delivery and called on members to strengthen professional standards, embrace emerging technologies and prioritise continuous professional development.
He said vision was fundamental to education, productivity, safety and human dignity, adding that access to appropriate optical care enabled people to learn, work and maintain their independence.
Mr John urged opticians to collaborate with the government and other stakeholders to build an eye care system that ensured that no one was unnecessarily denied the opportunity to see clearly.
GNA
