Travel restrictions have not hampered Volunteer Ophthalmic Services Overseas’ (VOSO) efforts in the Pacific, with voluntary work ongoing to support eyecare continuity.
Focusing on the provision of collegial support and supplies, VOSO spent approximately $20,000 on crucial supplies from Aurolab (the ophthalmic equipment arm of Aravind Eye Care in India) to ensure procedures such as cataract surgery continued in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga during the pandemic, said Dr Andrew Riley, VOSO chair. “We’d like to extend a special thankyou to our Auckland-based benefactor, Dr Rosemary Murdoch, for her generous donation supporting this work.”
A cataract kit contains everything for pre-, intra- and post-operative care and it is tailored to meet the specific requirements of each country. In 2021 and 2022, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga received 200 kits each per year.
Samoan ophthalmologist Dr Lucilla Ah Ching-Sefo said supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic have posed the biggest threat to Pacific eyecare since service delivery began. “I would like to extend our most sincere gratitude to Dr Riley and to the members of VOSO for this much needed donation. It is a reassurance that we will be able to continue with our routine services, particularly cataract operations, for the remainder of the year.”
Significant donations of glasses have also kept the islands ticking over. Dr Riley thanked David Bearpark of Little Peach Eyewear for donating 200 frames to be glazed and distributed in Samoa, and Jackie Nassau of Nassau Logistics, who once again arranged free international freight from Auckland.
