Himalayan Cataract Project E-News: June 2011Here you will find news on the latest international eye care activities from the Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP). This month’s newsletter includes summaries on the following:
- Ethiopia Updates
- Ethiopian Doctor attends SICS training in Nepal
- Landcruiser & eight pallets of ophthalmic equipment arrive at Quiha Zonal Hospital
- HCP volunteer trains ophthalmic technician
- HCP visiting faculty in Ghana
- HCP prepares for 8th Millennium Villages Project in Tanzania
- Co-Director Dr. Ruit in Indonesia
- San Francisco Marathon Event
Updates from EthiopiaEthiopian Doctor attends SICS training in Nepal | | 
Dr. Fisseha Admassu treats patients at Tilganga during SICS training.
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Dr. Fisseha Admassu of Gondar, Ethiopia, attended a hands-on Small Incision Sutureless Cataract Surgery (SICS) training at Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology in Nepal. Through the training, Dr. Admassu learned techniques for performing cataract surgery that greatly improve efficiency without sacrificing quality.
“Overall, it was a great honor and privilege to have this training. The training has not only boosted my confidence but also renewed my enthusiasm and passion for the job. I would like to assure you that I shall strive to transfer the skills I gained to my residents to the best of my abilities and try to bring success in the fight against treatable blindness in Ethiopia.” —Dr. Admassu
In addition to supporting Dr. Admassu’s training, HCP and Tilganga donated 200 intraocular lenses and one cataract surgical set for him to take home to his hospital in Gondar.
Landcruiser for northern Ethiopia In early June, the Toyota Landcruiser that HCP procured for the Quiha Zonal Hospital in Mekelle, Ethiopia, cleared customs and was successfully delivered.
“The vehicle arrived safely in Mekelle /Quiha Hospital. See how the community of Quiha town is very happy, see how the hospital staff is very happy. This will help increase our reach and provide more care for the needlessly blind in northern Ethiopia.” —Tesfuharegot Belachew, CEO of Quiha Zonal Hospital
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The arrival of the Landcruiser.
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Eight pallets of ophthalmic equipment arrive and local technician trainedEight pallets of ophthalmic equipment donated by the HCP arrived at Quiha Zonal Hospital earlier this month. The equipment (estimated value $182K) is a critical component of Quiha’s expansion into a new building which is scheduled to be inaugurated on July 7th. Construction support was provided by Proyecto Vision, a Spanish NGO.
HCP volunteer ophthalmic technician Keith Shirley was at Quiha for the equipment’s arrival. He is working with the Quiha team to unpack, install and test the equipment and to provide training to a local technician who will oversee the maintenance of this equipment in the new hospital. Keith comes from the Medical Eye Center (Board Member Matt Oliva’s practice) in Medford, Oregon.
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The new hospital at Quiha.
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Quiha staff unpacking pallets.
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HCP visiting faculty in GhanaDr. Craig Chaya spent a month at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana, providing ongoing training and support to former HCP Fellows Drs. Amos Aikins, Peter Osei-Bonsu and Seth Lartey.
Craig assisted Dr. Aikins with his first Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty (ALT). He provided a glaucoma lecture series to KATH residents and instructed senior residents on SICS technique. He worked with Drs. Osei-Bonsu and Lartey on phaco-emulsification techniques. He joined Dr. Osei-Bonsu and senior resident Doreen Frempong at an outreach event during which 50 surgeries were provided.
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Construction photo taken by Dr. Chaya in April showing view of Kumasi.
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Craig Chaya and clinical staff from KATH and the John A. Moran Eye Center.
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HCP preparing for 8th Millennium Villages Intervention in TanzaniaThe Himalayan Cataract Project is preparing for its 8th Millennium Village Eye Care Assessment and Intervention in the Mbola cluster and surrounding region in western Tanzania. HCP Co-Director Dr. Geoff Tabin has been coordinating with MV representatives, local ophthalmologists and clinical staff at Tabora Hospital in Tanzania, colleagues from John A. Moran Eye Center in Utah, Cornell Weill Hospital in New York, and the Earth Institute research team at Columbia University.
Through the intervention, HCP plans to:
- screen 30,000 patients
- provide approximately 500 cataract surgeries
- provide training to the local ophthalmic team
- research the economic impacts of the intervention.
The eye care intervention is scheduled for mid-August. To learn more about HCP and the millennium villages, click on the links below.
http://www.cureblindness.org/where/africa/millennium-villages/
http://millenniumvillages.org/the-villages/mbola-tanzania/ Dr. Ruit in IndonesiaHCP Co-Director Dr. Sanduk Ruit has just returned from a cataract workshop in Indonesia where he and his team provided over 1,000 sight-restoring surgeries. Dr. Ruit has committed to improving ophthalmic training in Indonesia and is enthused about the role that Tilganga and HCP could play in improving eye care in Indonesia. More details on Dr. Ruit’s visit to come next month. The San Francisco Marathon is fast approachingHCP is sponsoring the San Francisco Marathon to raise awareness of preventable blindness in the developing world. There are over 10 runners doing either the full or half marathon and HCP will have a tent at the event. Come meet HCP Board Members and Staff in San Francisco on July 31st from 11:00 to 1:00 at The Embarcadero at Howard.
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An elderly blind man in Nepal was carried for hours to a rural screening program.
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The Himalayan Cataract Project works to eradicate preventable and curable blindness through high quality ophthalmic care, education and the establishment of a world-class eye care infrastructure.
Please visit our Web site at www.cureblindness.org to keep up with the latest HCP news. There you will also find information on HCP’s finances, its founders, staff and board members, and ways that you can give the gift of sight.
Remember, through the Himalayan Cataract Project it takes a gift of only $20 to provide life-changing cataract surgery to someone struggling with blindness in the developing world. |
