Local eye service donates spectacles to Africa

Melanie Mills with examples of the eye-care goods sent to Vision Aid Overseas

Three hundred spectacles have been donated by the Rochdale Ophthalmology Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service (CATS) to help people in Africa who have little access to reading glasses.

The spectacles, along with repair and cleaning kits, have been given to Vision Aid Overseas, an international charity dedicated to fighting poverty by transforming access to eye care in developing countries. The glasses will go to North Western Province in Zambia where the charity has a vision centre at Solwezi General Hospital in the provincial capital.

A vision centre is where a member of the public can walk in off the street and receive a free eye test and good quality affordable glasses, either ready-made or to made to their exact prescription. If there are other eye care problems they can be immediately referred to an ophthalmologist or eye care specialist, one of the main benefits of having the centre within the hospital.

Karen Edwards, Zambia Programme Director for Vision Aid Overseas, said: “There is only one private optician’s shop in the province and the cost of glasses is way beyond the pocket of the majority of the 710,000 population so the vision centre is an essential service. However because the province is very large and to travel to the vision centre from some districts of the province can take up to 10 hours and cost a few day’s salary we have trained Ophthalmic Clinical Officers to test eyes and prescribe glasses at district level. Patients are then given reading glasses immediately or their prescription is sent to the Vision centre.

“Rochdale Ophthalmology CATS’ very kind donation will be divided between the Vision Centre and the Ophthalmic Clinical Officers working in the district facilities so helping some of the neediest and poorest people in Zambia.”

Melanie Mills, Theatre Co-ordinator for Rochdale Ophthalmology CATS, said: “The spectacles we have donated were no longer suitable for the service but when we approached Vision Aid Overseas, they said they could make very good use of them in Zambia. We are delighted they will be helping people in need of eye care who can’t afford it in their own country.”