Kawempe, Uganda — Eye care company Lapaire has opened its 19th branch in Uganda, located in Kawempe division , Kampala. This new branch is the 15th in the Kampala metropolitan area and is part of Lapaire’s mission to make quality eye care more accessible to everyone in Africa.
Speaking at the launch, John Hillary Balyejusa, Lapaire’s Public Relations and Communications Officer for East Africa, said the company is working to solve a serious problem in Uganda that’s the lack of accessible eye care.
“Uganda has almost 50 million people but only about 500 eye specialists. This makes it hard for many people to get the eye care they need,” said Balyejusa.
“We are opening more branches so that people across the country can easily get free eye tests and affordable eye treatment.” He emphasized
Quality Eye Care for All
The new Kawempe branch, located opposite shell petrol station, will offer the same services as other Lapaire branches.
According to him these services include; Free eye tests, Affordable glasses starting at UGX 105,000, Flexible payment plans, Expert advice and follow-up support among other.
Why Regular Eye Tests Are Important
Balyejusa stressed the need for regular eye tests. Unlike other health issues, many eye conditions do not cause pain in the early stages. By the time people notice symptoms, it may be too late.
“We advise people to have an eye test at least once a year, or even every six months. This helps detect problems early before they get worse,” he expexplained.
“Kampala’s environment, especially dust and strong sun rays, also increases the risk of eye damage. Regular eye check-ups help protect against these risks,” he added.
Big Milestone: 1 Million Eye Tests
Lapaire is approaching a major achievement of 1 million eye tests across Africa. This goal is expected to be reached by the end of this month.
“We hoped this branch would open on the same day as our 1 millionth eye test, but we are a few days away. Still, we are excited that some of the tests from Kawempe will contribute to that number,” said Balyejusa.
In their first week in Kawempe, Lapaire expects to test between 100 to 200 people for free.
Encouraging the Next Generation of Eye Specialists
There is also a shortage of trained eye specialists in Uganda. Currently, only two institutions offer optometry training: the Clinical Officers Training School in Jinja and the School of Optometry at Makerere University.
Balyejusa encouraged young people to consider studying optometry.
“We call upon students, parents, and teachers to promote this field. Eye care is a growing need, and we must train more professionals,” remarked.
