An optical workshop aimed at improving access to affordable eye care services has been commissioned at St. Joseph’s Hospital Kitgum, marking a significant milestone in the fight against preventable blindness in northern Uganda.
The facility was established with support from Christian Blind Mission (CBM) in partnership with CBM Italy, following years of growing demand for specialized eye services in the region.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony on Tuesday, Jackie Kwesiga, the Country Director for CBM Uganda, said the partnership with St. Joseph’s Hospital began seven years ago after studies revealed a high prevalence of blindness and limited access to eye care in the Acholi sub-region.
“There were so many people with cataracts and refractive errors, yet there were very few specialized eye services and limited equipment. This optical workshop brings services closer to the people, especially the vulnerable who previously had to travel long distances to access treatment,” Kweiga said.
According to Kwesiga, CBM and its partners invested about €100,000 (about 438 million shillings), to renovate the facility and equip it with modern machines capable of producing prescription spectacles locally.The construction and installation of equipment took about one year.
The newly commissioned workshop is expected to serve patients from Kitgum District and surrounding areas, including communities across the border in South Sudan and refugees living in nearby settlements.
Dr. Dennis Kamara, Head of the Eye Unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital, described the workshop as a major step toward improving eye care services in the region.
“An optical workshop is basically a unit that makes glasses for people who have difficulty seeing far, near, or when using computers and phones,” Dr Kamara explained. “With the machines installed here, we can now cut and fit spectacles of different sizes locally without referring patients elsewhere.”
He noted that the facility is equipped with both manual and automated machines, including lens edgers, lensimeters and spectacle washers, enabling staff to produce spectacles efficiently. Two local staff members have been trained to operate the equipment following technical instruction by experts from Italy.
Dr. Kamara said the hospital currently handles between 500 and 1,000 eye patients per month, with approximately 40 percentrequiring spectacles. “Before this facility, patients had to wait about a week or travel to Kampala to get their glasses, now, spectacles can be made locally, reducing waiting time and improving patient care,” he explained.
He added that common eye conditions treated at the hospital include cataracts, allergies, glaucoma, injuries caused by road crashes and occupational hazards. The Medical Director of St. Joseph’s Hospital, Dr. Pamela Atim, said the new workshop addresses a longstanding gap in the hospital’s services.
“For the last three years, we have been offering eye health services at a secondary level, but we lacked the capacity to assemble spectacles locally. With this workshop, we can now produce glasses based on prescriptions given by our doctors, which will significantly reduce avoidable blindness due to refractive errors,” Dr. Atim said.
Dr. Atim added that the hospital receives between 200 and 300 patients weekly for eye screening, with about a quarter presenting cataract. On average, the facility performs 50 to 60 cataract surgeries per week, both at the hospital and during community outreaches.
She believes the workshop will not only improve access to eye care but also reduce the financial burden on patients who previously travelled to distant urban centres for similar services.
Dr. Atim also urged continued community sensitization to encourage residents to seek early diagnosis and treatment for eye conditions, noting that timely intervention remains critical in preventing permanent vision loss.
Fabio Beretia, International Programs Director at CBM Italy, said the project was funded through donations from private supporters, including the Getty family, in memory of Margaret Getty.
“The donors are committed to supporting eye health programs in northern Uganda,” Beretia said. “Through this support, we were able to purchase equipment and train local staff to ensure the sustainability of the services.”
