Standard Chartered Bank has handed over equipment worth US $100,000 (Shs375, 000,000) to the visually impaired persons and at the same time unveiled a grant of US $90.000 (….)that will support schools that cater for both the sighted and visually impaired children in the districts of Mityana, Kiboga, Mubende, Kasanda and Kyanwanzi districts.
The ophthalmic equipment were handed over at the Kampala Serena Hotel on Tuesday as the Bank and its partners celebrated the 15th Anniversary of ‘Seeing is Believing’ programme presided over by the Minister of State for Primary Health Care, Dr. Joyce Moriku, who called for the continued public- private sector partnerships in health service delivery.
“As government we strongly value public-private sector partnerships for effective service delivery and that is why we work tirelessly to support the Seeing is Believing Programme,” she said while addressing guests who included officials from the ministries of health and education, NGO representatives, hospitals, the media, staff and clients of the bank.
Minister Moriku said the government was committed to providing better health care services to Ugandans. “I appeal to all stakeholders to continue supporting us in strengthening the health sector to save lives and to enable us live better and more productive lives,” she said.
Some of the equipment will provide multilevel support including; surgical equipment for the general theatre and minor theatre at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital, specialist equipment for eye clinics at Kiboga, Kyanwanzi and Mityana Hospitals; specialist low vision devices, Braille machines and paper, and White canes for the blind and vision impaired.
Speaking at the function, the Bank’s CEO Albert Saltson, said that since the inception of the Seeing is Believing programme in 2003 up to until 2012, the Bank has invested over Shs1.8 billion which enabled; over 120,000 people to undergo eye screening and treatment, with 12,000 people regaining their sight while 2,000 people were able to benefit from refractive error services.
Between 2013 and 2016, the project, he said, focused on child eye health which took a holistic view of the eye health looking at the whole child’s needs. “Fundamental components of the project included; human resource development, provision of infrastructure and equipment, strengthening of health information management systems and advocacy for policies, governance and research,” he said.
Saltson said the Bank has over the years donated an assortment of eye equipment to regional hospitals in Jinja, Soroti, Gulu, Arua, Fort Portal and Lira, with the major objective of facilitating eye screening and surgery among children aged 0-15 years, in partnership with Sightsavers Uganda and UK Aid.
He said the Bank last year in partnership with BHVI launched a new four-year comprehensive eye care project worth One Million dollars which will run to June 2020 with focus on both children and adults in Mubende district. “The major goal is to contribute to the 2014-2019 World Health Organisation Global Action Plan of reducing the prevalence of avoidable visual impairment by 25 per cent,” he said.
While speaking at the function, the Board Chairman ,of Uganda National Association of the Blind UNAB), Charles Ntege Kizito lauded Standard Chartered Bank and its partners, saying that the donation of equipment and treatment of pupils with vision impairment is one way of facilitating educational inclusion in Uganda.