Post by tomcamp on Nov 4, 2006 12:01:26 GMT -5
Several international aid organizations have agreed to send volunteer ophthalmic surgery teams to Northern Honduras. Additionally, a host ophthalmologist has been located to select prospective surgery candidates based upon pre-screening by AHMEN and other participating vision teams. To facilitate this program AHMEN is taking steps to provide expanded training for their vision team members in the diagnostic skills required to identify eye diseases, abnormalities, and complications requiring specialized treatment and/or surgery. A training program is being planned for late January or February for AHMEN and all other interested missionary teams.
This program hopes to focus initially upon children and youth with arrangements underway to screen the children through the schools or churches in order to diagnose and treat problems before vision loss becomes irreversible. Since prevention is as important as treatment, the distribution of sunglasses with 100% UV protection to both children and adults and community eye health classes concentrating on the importance of hygiene and nutrition and the damaging effects of sun and smoke are also planned.
To facilitate the overall goal of providing more and better eye care, participating teams will collectively purchase and pool their resources: Focometer, ophthalmoscopes, tonopins, trial lens sets, extended lens inventory, etc. These materials will be maintained in Limon at the Carolina Clinic with Donna Goff, the Expanded Eye Care Program Coordinator, who will be training this winter as a Paramedical Eye Nurse with an optometrist and ophthalmologist team in Tegucigalpa. Teams who wish to participate can monitor the progress of this program and the announcement of training dates at www.honduranmissions.com or may contact Mary Guffey at hjguffey@earthlink.net .
This program hopes to focus initially upon children and youth with arrangements underway to screen the children through the schools or churches in order to diagnose and treat problems before vision loss becomes irreversible. Since prevention is as important as treatment, the distribution of sunglasses with 100% UV protection to both children and adults and community eye health classes concentrating on the importance of hygiene and nutrition and the damaging effects of sun and smoke are also planned.
To facilitate the overall goal of providing more and better eye care, participating teams will collectively purchase and pool their resources: Focometer, ophthalmoscopes, tonopins, trial lens sets, extended lens inventory, etc. These materials will be maintained in Limon at the Carolina Clinic with Donna Goff, the Expanded Eye Care Program Coordinator, who will be training this winter as a Paramedical Eye Nurse with an optometrist and ophthalmologist team in Tegucigalpa. Teams who wish to participate can monitor the progress of this program and the announcement of training dates at www.honduranmissions.com or may contact Mary Guffey at hjguffey@earthlink.net .