Eye Health Hero: Felix Kofi Awuriki

Dr Felix Kofi Awuriki is a passionate Optometrist, inspirational Mentor and Leader, who is inspiring many young student optometrists and opticians in Ghana. He is a perfect example of leadership as far as the future of Eye Care is concerned. Dr Awuriki is the founder and executive director of Perfect Vision Med Eye Care Clinic, a centre of distinction for optometric care and optical dispensing practices.

Dr Awuriki graduated with a Doctor of Optometry degree in June 2013 among the top of his class. His academic performance endeared him to the Department of Optometry of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, leading to his invitation back as a Teaching and Research Assistant in his alma mater. Within this period, he had the opportunity to be mentored by faculty whiles mentoring over 400 student optometrists in the course of executing his responsibilities as a Teaching and Research Assistant.

His passion for mentoring optometry students and the optical dispensing students lead to the creation of the PERFECT VISION DOCTORS GROUP and PERFECT VISION OPTICIANS GROUP. These avenues gave him the opportunity to mentor Over 200 optometrists and over 150 optical technicians (and still counting) through his PERFECT VISION EYE CARE CLINIC facility and Medical Outreach Team on various optometric and optical interventions.

As the head of Doctors in the Gap Optometry unit, he has helped reach 1000s of people in villages, rural places and typically less privileged communities with free eye care. In 2019, he executed about 48 medical outreaches in total serving 48 different communities with a population of about 27,600 people. His passion for eye care encouraged him to go the extra mile to reach typically rural and deprived communities as a volunteer optometrist for Village Eye Medical Outreaches. Notable among them is the Dwarf Islands, a typically deprived and neglected village in the Eastern region of Ghana, which has virtually been cut off from the rest of the country with no electricity and no hospital, and the 66 villages that surround Kalba Sub-District of the Northern region of Ghana.

During the Italian Humanitarian Mission which was made up of Ophthalmologists and Optometrists volunteers of Fondazione Francesca Rava N.P.H. Italia Onlus on board of Etna Ship-Italian Navy, Dr Awuriki served as one of the Ghanaian Optometrist volunteers for free eye care provision for about 500 Ghanaian Children at Tema on board of the Italian Ship . The theme of the mission was “Transforming children’s lives through sight”. Many children with refractive errors received smiles on their faces as they were given free prescription spectacles to see clearly giving them hope for the future.

Dr Felix Kofi Awuriki’s passion for eye care and mentorship is awe-inspiring.

“The eye is the lamp and light of the body. If your eyes are healthy and clear, your whole body will be full of light.” I envision a world in which quality eye health care is accessible to all irrespective of geographical location.

There are many great quality eye caregivers and sacrificial eye health professionals; our absolute giving of quality eye care will change the blind world of despair into an illuminated world of many blessed possibilities in health, technology, socioeconomic progress and every facet of life of the individual.

If we don’t give up on caring for all and sundry irrespective of their background, race, age or culture among others, then the world will be a better place to be.

Imagine a world of total darkness (due to blindness), I strongly believe you are the light of your world as you give quality care to the eyes of the world that is why I love what I do.”

– Dr. Felix Kofi Awuriki