What changes have taken place in your hospital since the project started?

As a result of the link between your hospital and ours, some positive changes have taken place in our hospital.

1. Our hospital now has a paediatric outpatient and surgical (theatre) days
2. We now have standard and acceptable paediatric visual acuity equipment.
3. Two staff (Augustine Etoh and Thomas Achi) of ECWA Eye Hospital, Kano, Nigeria, have been receiving short term training on proper squint and visual acuity assessment and proper use of the slit lamp for the examination of patients.

What are the future plans for the project and your hospital?

By the end of the first phase of the link programme, we hope that:

1. In ECWA Eye Hospital, Kano, a proper room will be provided for orthoptic examination of children/patients.
2. Mr Thomas Achi (Orthoptic Nurse) and Mr Augustine Etoh (Optometrist) would have been properly trained for a reliable examination/assessment and management of ocular problems in our outpatients.

What has been your impression of Northern Ireland and Londonderry?

Since our arrival in Derry we found the people to be very hospitable. They are always ready to help and are very kind.

All the staff of Altnagelvin Area Hospital that we were attached to are very nice and accommodating. They are always ready to answer any/all of our questions and therefore impart knowledge to us.

They were very patient, intelligent, hard working and always punctual to work.

Northern Ireland (Derry) is a very beautiful place and the beach we visited (near the Giants Causeways) is very beautiful. The Giants Causeway is very wonderful and awe inspiring. Although the food is mainly potato based, we found some of the food very interesting.

The weather at this time is simply glorious and it suited us nicely. In all, Derry and Northern Ireland is a very beautiful and interesting place and we would like to come again.

In conclusion, our many thanks to Dr Rosie Brennan and her team for all that they did for us. God bless you all.

Thank you.

Thomas Achi and Augustine Etoh

24/6/10