Locals help optometrist to provide eyecare service

LOCALS have helped an optometrist to provide eyecare for people living in remote areas of Papua New Guinea.
Specsavers optometrist Theresa Bui said more than 200 pairs of glasses were donated to support the cause.
Specsavers Narellan raised a further $A1800 through a week-long fundraising event where $5 from every eye test went to the YWAM Association.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to the Narellan community for supporting such a worthy cause,” Bui said.
“Fitting Papua New Guinea residents with glasses that had been donated by Specsavers customers was a very special moment.
“Specs that were no longer being used have now made a significant difference to the lives of our PNG neighbours.”
Bui joined a team of volunteers on board the Youth with a Mission (YWAM) Medical Ships to administer eye care to residents living in Western, home to some of the most remote communities in the world.
She worked as a voluntary member of the optometry clinic team who treated 350 patients and distributed more than 200 pairs of glasses donated by Specsavers Narellan to those she met.
“Working as a volunteer on the YWAM Medical Ships was a truly humbling experience,” she said.
“Every day we travelled by boat to a different village to treat residents who in most cases had never seen an optometrist in their lifetime.
“We carried out eye examinations, checked for cataracts and educated patients about the importance of eye health, hygiene and sun protection.
“To use my training and skills in this environment was incredibly rewarding as I could treat residents firsthand and see the impact that clearer vision had on the PNG community.”  – Campbelltown Macarthur Advertiser