A person with low vision is someone who has a permanent reduced visual acuity (vision) of 6/18 to light perception in the better-seeing eye that cannot be corrected with regular glasses, contact lenses, surgery or medicine. Low vision is uncorrectable vision loss that interferes with daily activities (not enough vision to do whatever it is you need to do) which can vary from person to person.

It is very important to have a comprehensive low vision examination performed on someone, a family member or a friend with eye disorders such as glaucoma, cataracts, retinal degenerations, macular degeneration, diabetic and hypertensive retinopathies and so on by optometrist who specializes in low vision. This is necessary to determine whether special low vision optical devices, large print reading materials, better lighting or other types of training such as vision rehabilitation services can help. With this the person, family or friend with low vision will be able to use his or her functional vision more effectively.

There are different kinds of eye examination that uses more detailed tests to determine what someone with low vision can see or cannot see. These different tests are provided and done at the St. Michael’s Hospital, Low Vision Centre at Pramso. The facility, through the NCHS is in talks with the government to involve the Social Welfare Department, schools for the blind and the Ghana Blind Union to recruit people with low vision especially children of school going age to assist them with our services and care.

With the help of Misean Cara through the St. Louis Sisters of Kumasi, the hospital has put up a state-of-the-art one-storey building to house the Low Vision Centre, where they provide low vision services and care including vision rehabilitation and a training centre for our clientele.