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FHF medical consultant and doctors of Binh Dinh Eye Hospital work together. Photo FHF |
Binh Dinh Provincial People’s Committee and Fred Hollows Foundation (FHF) signed the eye care project by 2009-2012 early this year. This could be good news for blind patients in Binh Dinh.
FHF continued to implement the second phase of the project in Binh Dinh because of two reasons, according to FHF Vietnam director Huynh Tan Phuc. On the one hand, he said, Binh Dinh had many initiatives and activities for the blindness prevention.
On the other hand, a national survey carried out by the Central Eye Institute showed that Binh Dinh is one of some provinces and cities where there is the highest number of blind people, accounting for 1.11% of the population.
At present, blindness and other eye-related diseases are the community’s important issues. The increase of eye-related diseases has become a challenge for the province’s eye care capacity in recent years.
Most causes of blindness could be prevented by timely treatment or active prevention. This proves it’s necessary to strengthen the blindness prevention program and cataract operation for patients in Binh Dinh.
The 2nd-phase project will be implemented in four Districts of Hoai Nhon, Hoai An, An Lao, and Van Canh, aiming to establish the community-based sustainable eye care network to considerably reduce the rate of blind people and help them easily use eye care services.
Also, in the second phase FHF will help Binh Dinh Eye Hospital train ophthalmologists. Medical workers at grassroots level will also be trained in eye care, observation, and communication.
The project is expected to aid the province’s Eye Hospital to set up the training center, provide facilities for four District’s health centers, and offer free cataract operation for 3,600 poor blind patients.
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