Lutterworth optician's Ghana trip is an eye-opener

A Lutterworth optician was part of a team who dispensed almost 3,500 pairs of glasses '“ including one to a tribal king '“ in Ghana.

Store director Abhijit Roy, along with eight other members of Specsavers teams across the midlands, held optical clinics for locals in the Ashanti region over six days, performing an average of 250 tests per day. They dispensed unwanted specs donated in stores throughout the year.

The trip was Mr Roy’s fourth visit to Ghana.

He said: “We completed 1,406 tests in total, working long hours.

“One memorable moment was when I tested a young boy who had an accommodative convergent squint, meaning that as he focused his eyes, they converged inwards.

“His prescription was a challenge – under any circumstances – but the dispensing team managed to find an exact match for him by taking a lens from another frame. As soon as he put on his new specs, his eyes straightened. It was wonderful to be able to give him a life-changing improvement.”

Locals from the development in the Gyetiase area have little access to eyecare, and this is one of the poorest regions in Ghana. Many patients had walked for several days to get to the clinic, and by 3am each morning there was a queue of people waiting for treatment.

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