Health Minister cuts sod for School of Dispensing Optic projects

The Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyemang Manu, has cut sod for the construction of a lecture block, offices and a hostel for the School of Dispensing Optics here in the Ashanti Region.
This was during his official four-day tour of the region to visit health facilities and inspect projects being executed by the ministry.

Addressing the chiefs and people at the ceremony, Mr Agyemang Manu praised the founders for their vision to establish such a school to train best and quality optician professionals for the various health institutions.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Dormaa Central in the Bono Region was delighted with the progress of work and was convinced that when completed, the project would make a huge impact on the country’s health delivery system.

He, therefore, called for collaboration between the traditional authorities and the school for speedy execution of the project.

The Principal, Mr Kofi  Boakye, said the school was established by the Wesphalian Children’s Village, African Action, a German based non-governmental organisation and the Swiss Red Cross in 2001 to train opticians.

He said the first phase of the new and permanent campus started in April this year and was expected to be completed in September.
Funded through the school’s internally generated funds and with the support of government, the project comprises of a 12-unit classroom block, 16 offices and a hostel to accommodate 600 students.

Mr Boakye said with a population of 235 students, the school was faced with many challenges including transportation which needed urgent attention to ease their burden.

As the first of its kind to be established in the country to train opticians, Mr Boakye appealed for more support from the government, individuals and organisations to enable the school reach its goals of “producing well trained technical opticians” for our various health institutions in the country.

FROM GODWIN OFOSU ACHEAMPONG, OYOKO