Mental Maps

On the marks of life's hill, we mount our mental antenna.
On the mile of many thoughts, we map the moments of men.
In the morning of evenings, and in the evening of mornings,
We ask a lot of questions of why things happen to us,
And it's my prayer you are comforted and strengthen in these times. Remain blessed.
Greetings from me to YOU.
©KYB ✍🏿02/03/2023

Strengthening eyecare in healthcare at Dzelukope

A person’s ability to see is more important to many. Perhaps that is why people often prize their vision to all other senses. Indeed, one study even went further to explain why some people consider losing their eyesight to be the worst health ailment that could befall them. Interestingly, what makes the situation even more alarming is the staggering statistics that more than 2 billion people globally face vision impairment. Of the number, experts say almost half of the cases could have been prevented with early detection and care. Although the idea of sight loss can be scary, the prompt diagnosis by an eye specialist can and in many cases, help preserve vision. Eyecare Dzelukope Although there are several eyecare centres concentrated in the cities, Eyecare services at Dzelukope has made the town popular to many. Today, Dzelukope is synonymous to eyecare because of a missionary’s effort to preserve the sight of people. Upon his arrival in Ghana in 1960, Rev. Fr. Joseph Cramers, SMA, a missionary from Holland working at Anfoega, Liati, Kete-Krachi, Jasikan, Vakpo and Denu, had observed challenges some people he encountered had with their sights. His interest to do something about the situation increased when he was newly posted as the Parish Priest of Dzelukope, St Peter Claver Catholic Church, in 1970, replacing Rev. Fr. William De-Roy of Scotland. Fr. Cramers with additional responsibility as the local manager of Catholic Schools in the area, saw the difficulty some teachers had in writing their lesson notes as a result poor vision. The situation worried him and he thought of helping improve the visions of the teachers so they could effectively teach and help prepare the students for life. Consequently, when visiting Holland in 1978, he brought fixed reading spectacles with him to Ghana, which he issued to the teachers and other workers in the area who had poor vision. This effort, led to the establishment of the New Look Optical Works in May 1979, and he went further to recruit some youth for training in order to handle the optical works. Extension of Eyecare Services Since its inception, Fr. Cramers and his team by dint of hard work took care of the sight of the people within the Keta enclave and beyond. Due to the special care they gave to their patrons at Dzelukope and through routine outreaches, word soon spread to the other parts of the region of the effective eyecare services the New Look Optical Works was offering. Driven by the desire to serve the people who overwhelmingly subscribed to the care at Dzelukope, Fr Cramers in 1984, barely five (5) years after starting the main office at Dzelukope, opened the first branch at Yendi and another one at Nsawam in 1985. Other branches were opened at Takoradi, Half-Assini, Saboba, Jasikan, Aflao, and Ho among others. Operating under the guidelines of National Catholic Health Service, now National Catholic Health Trust, as well as under the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), and sharing the compound with the St Peter Claver Catholic Church, evoked the compassion and dedication with which staff attended to health seekers. Transition of Eyecare With its speciality in eye care, the facility has over the years rendered services in eye screening, refraction and dispensing of drugs and spectacles. And through the walls of Dzelukope’s New Look Optical Works, thousands have regained their sights and many who feared going blind had their fears assuage after being attended to by specialist from Dzelukope. Indeed, after 50 years of his missionary work in Ghana, 31 of which was directly invested in eyecare, and having attended to hundreds of thousands of patients from different parts of the country and neighbouring countries, Fr. Cramers left the shores of Ghana in 2010, due to ill-health. Prior to leaving, Fr Cramers handed over the New Look Optical Facility to then Bishop of Keta-Akatsi Diocese, Most Rev. Anthony Kwami Adanuty in 2010. Fr. Cramers however passed-on on 31st December 2012, two years after leaving the shores of Ghana. At a memorial Mass held in his honour, in April 2013, at Dzelukope, Emeritus Bishop Adanuty decreed that the name New Look Optical Works be changed to Joseph Cramers New Look Optical Centre. Indeed, it was to honour the man who made Dzelukope a household name for quality eyecare. Elevation of facility The announcement by Very Rev. Fr. Lt. Col. Winfred Delali Kodzo Sraha (Rtd), Keta-Akatsi Diocesan Administrator of Health of the elevation of the Joseph Cramers New Look Optical Centre, Dzelukope to the status of a Clinic did not come as a surprise to many patrons at this year’s World Day of the Sick held at Dzelukope. This is partly because of the hard work of the staff, which Most Rev. Gabriel Edoe Kumordji, SVD, Buishop of the Keta-Akatsi Diocese and the Diocesan Administrator commended the staff of the Centre for keeping the dreams of the founder the late Rev. Fr. Joseph Cramers, SMA alive. They both urged staff not to relent in their oars but to keep up the good work to sustain the gains made. New Project and Appeal To further enhance improved services of the facility to the public, Mr Daniel Gemegah, Acting Director of the Joseph Cramers New Look Optical Centre and Clinic, stated that a two (2) storey building us under construction to give clinic a bigger space to attend to more patients. The construction which is about 80 per cent completed, according to the Acting Director was the joint effort of the staff and the Diocesan Health Directorate. Noting that the construction was funded by internally generated funds since 2017, Mr Gemegah appealed to well-meaning Ghanaians, and donors to support the early completion of the project. Indeed, since eyecare is crucial in healthcare, it is essential to support and strengthen the Joseph Cramers New Look Optical Centre and Clinic to be Bigger and better Eyecare facility in serving Ghanaians in rural setting. By Kwesi Yirenkyi Boateng

Never Take God's Love for Granted

Christians have been advised to renew their faith in God during this Lenten season, by appreciating God’s tender love and mercy shown towards humanity. Rev. Fr. Solomon Yayra Xeflide of the St. James Catholic Church, Osu RE, in the Archdiocese of Accra, who led the 2023 Lenten Retreat for members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, University of Ghana, Legon, reiterated the need to draw closer to the love of God. Speaking on the theme: ‘His Boundless Love Reaches Out To All Men’ at the SVD Home for Aged Religious at McCarthy Hill, Fr. Xeflide extolled God’s attribute of love to humanity, but warned against the tendency to take this love for granted. The Retreat Master who noted that the stories in the Bible reflects God’s love for humanity, stressed that Christ’s sacrificing his life in order to redeem humanity, was the greatest example of love every Christian should treasure. Fr. Xeflide stated that the love of God was always present, and charge Christians to endeavour speaking God’s language of love, by identifying the divine love through constant prayers and seeking deeper personal intimacy with Him. As part of the retreat, members of the society participated in the Stations of the Cross; Sacrament Reconciliation, and Adoration of the Holy Eucharist, which was climaxed with a Holy Mass. The Society also made a donation of assorted items to the retired Religious. Prof. Onike Rodrigues, President of the Society, who thanked the Priest, Choristers and members for participating at the Retreat, expressed the hope that the exercise would go a long way to strengthen the spirituality of members. In attendance was the St. James Youth Choir, which sang the Mass and accompanied the group in the retreat programme with melodious hymns. With a focus of providing personal service to the poor and less privileged in our society, the Society of St Vincent de Paul, founded in 1833 by Blessed Antoine-Frédéric Ozanam, is an international voluntary charity organisation in the Catholic Church. Over the years, the society strives to meet the needs of the needy and vulnerable in our society.