-as Lions Club, VOSH partner to provide free eye care

THE Lions Club International Foundation of Guyana has partnered with the Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH), to provide a week of free eye screening services to members of the public at several locations.

The Guyana Chronicle spoke with some of the beneficiaries at the Project Dawn Health Centre, Liliendaal, on Thursday, which was World Sight Day. Many were thankful for the initiative which they said would help them avoid the high cost that is usually associated with the purchasing of spectacles.

Donovan (the only name given) accompanied his wife to get her eyes tested.
“Due to spectacles carrying such a high price, I am thankful that I don’t have to spend a lot of money to get this for her. I am also happy to see so many people and schoolchildren here, ” he said.
Fredrick Henry, a father accompanying his 16-year-old son, said, “The turnout has exceeded what I think it would have been. We were here early but haven’t gotten through as yet. It is a great initiative because spectacles these days cause a lot of trouble and we are thankful that we can come and get them for free. I know it will help out a lot of parents too.”

The initiative was planned several years ago after the District Coordinator of the Lions Club International Foundation Guyana, Maxine Cummings, while at a seminar in Boston, USA, expressed the need for VOSH to visit Guyana.

VOSH’s head, Dr. Barbara Plaugher, made the decision to travel to Guyana with her 16-member team of doctors, nurses, and technicians. However, she was forced to delay the trip for about two years owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Members of the VOSH team would travel to underserved areas around the world “to provide the gift of vision and quality eye health,” to adults and children.
On Thursday, the Guyana Chronicle spoke with Dr. Plaugher at the Project Dawn Health Centre.

She said that she was delighted to see the “great” turnout and was looking forward with great anticipation to the planned visits to West Coast Berbice and New Amsterdam the following day.
She also expressed gratitude to the Lions and the people of Guyana for the hospitality that was extended to her and her team, ensuring that they received food and water on time, and whatever was needed to make their stay comfortable.

“The people are very nice here in Guyana. They are pleasant and appreciative of the service that they are getting and that is quite nice to see,” said Dr. Plaugher.
She said that she wants Guyana to know that they are willing to come back if they are invited and if there is a need for them. It is not uncommon for them to revisit countries.

Meanwhile, Cummings, who is also the coordinator for the initiative, explained that Guyanese are fortunate to be benefitting from one-week of services from the VOSH team.
“Even though we are accommodating adults, we are focusing a lot more on children. Some children may not be learning in the classroom because of their poor eyesight, but we don’t always consider that. We just think that they don’t understand the work and, in some cases, we found that they may not be able to see properly,” she related.

Lions and VOSH are catering for 2,000 patients, but according to Cummings that number from all indications will be exceeded.
“Our goal is to save sight and one of the goals for the Lions Club in the coming years is to extend drives such as these to other parts of Guyana,” she added.

The District Coordinator took the opportunity to remind the public that the Lions Club does similar projects annually for children during the month of October when more attention is given to the importance of eye health and the need for quality eye care services for all.

While many schoolchildren were given eyeglasses, it was found that a number of them had developed pterygium (a fleshy overgrowth in one or both eyes), which is due to excessive sunlight.
Cummings used the opportunity to express gratitude to the Ministry of Health, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and the Government of Guyana for playing an instrumental role in making the initiative a success.
She also thanked Dr. Plaugher and her team for the successful and excellent service that they have provided thus far to the people of Guyana, especially the children.
This year, World Sight Day was celebrated under the theme, “Love Your Eyes”.