Official: Focus on eye care capacity

 TO achieve success – blind or seeing – one needs have a particular aim, an eye care official says.

“Without such preparedness, one will stumble and fall in a world that seems to be handicapped by blind turns and twists.  What does the future hold for us all in Papua New Guinea,”  PNG Eye Care general manager, Drew Keys asked.

“We can only speculate to look into the future with hope and care for those who are blind.”

Keys said this was the aim of the non-government organisation he, his staff and supporters worked for in the country.

Referring to the World Sight Day rally held at Boroko’s Tabari Place on Monday, Keys said: “Thank you so much for your interest in our event.

“As you saw, our aim is not only to raise the profile of eye health in PNG, but draw together community organisations that have a shared interest in health and lifestyle in PNG.”

That goal was reiterated by several speakers on Tuesday night.

Keys told guests his staff and others who continued to support PNG Eye Care should be applauded for the continuing cooperation and help in the fight against blindness.

He thanked Australian High Commissioner Debra Stokes and the New Zealand High Commissioner Marion Crawshaw for their governments’ financial support. 

He said PNG Eye Care was a capacity-building initiative of the Brien Holden Vision Institute, set up in 2008 as the first local not-for-profit, non-government organisation of its kind in the country. “It is the first national NGO to devote itself to building eye health capacity within PNG,” he said.