Partners establish eye care projects

PNG Eye Care and the Brien Holden Vision Institute have established a number of eye care projects in PNG that are contributing to the elimination of avoidable blindness.
The two institutions work in collaboration with the Government, NGOs and local and international donors in an effort to build sustainable eye care systems in PNG.
Projects established by PNG Eye Care include:
n A national spectacles supply that provides spectacles to 17 sites across PNG, and,
n Eye care nurses are stationed at each site and provide treatment services through a re-ordering system from a warehouse based in Port Moresby.
The establishment of four vision centers across PNG  that provide  eye examinations, refraction, prescribing spectacles and supply and dispensing of low cost spectacles, detection of potentially blinding diseases and  appropriate referral of patients with more complex eye conditions to tertiary health care centres.
PNG Eye Care is committed to incorporating a disability focus in its programme through their work in low vision. People with low vision have reduced vision even when using the best possible corrective lenses.
PNG Eye Care is one of the founding members of an advocacy body, the National Prevention of Blindness Committee. The committee   works with the Department of Health to help improve eye care services.
President of PNG Eye Care, Dr Jambi Garap said these significant achievements of PNG Eye Care were due to the ongoing partnership with the Brian Holden Vision Institute and the strong support from the Australian Aid’s Avoidable Blindness initiative.