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Scores benefit from Subraj Foundation-facilitated eye care outreaches
A UG Optometry Student examining
a patient during the outreach.
GPHC Optometrist Mr Vincent
examining a patient at the outreach.
PRO of the Subraj foundation, Mr Richard Mahase
counselling a patient in Bartica
Within a six-day period three eye care clinics were conducted in the three counties of Guyana. Free eye screening was conducted and hundreds of spectacles were distributed to residents at no cost to them.
The activities compliments of the US-based George Subraj Family Foundation Team in collaboration with the Department of Ophthalmology of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC].
The visiting team offered its services during the period March 27 through April 1, 2019 and included the family of the late Philanthropist and business mogul, George Subraj. The foundation team members/coordinators are Subraj’s wife, Gloria; children: Tony and Jasmine and his close friends: Jay Jainarine and Richard B. Mahase who are elated that a number of milestones were accomplished during this recent trip.
According to information filtered to this publication by Head of the GPHC Ophthalmology Department, Dr. Shailendra Sugrim, a number of residents who benefited from the free clinics had their eyes tested for the first time. In fact, he disclosed that “some of these patients were found to have uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension because the team also conducted blood pressure and blood sugar testing.”
He said, too, that patients were counselled on how to seek assistance to manage their medical conditions.
Clinics, Dr. Sugrim said, were held at Wales, West Bank Demerara, Wednesday March 27, 2019 where 350 patients were seen; Bartica, Essequibo on Friday, March 29, 2019 where 60 patients were seen and at the No. 70 Village, Berbice, on Sunday March 31, 2019 where 250 patients were seen.
He said that the GPHC team consisted of ophthalmologists, nurses and optometrists who volunteered their time during the clinics.
The last day of the eye clinic, Dr. Sugrim shared, also consisted of an ophthalmologist and optometrist from the Woodlands Hospital. Accompanying the team, too, were students of the University of Guyana’s School of Optometry.
From all indications, Dr. Sugrim said, “Residents were very appreciative for the free spectacles given and for the opportunity to have their eyes screened and tested in their regions.”
Last December, the Subraj Foundation also worked closely with Cornea Specialists, Dr. Joseph Pasternak of Washington, and the Lions Eye Bank to procure emergency corneal transplant tissues for a one-eyed patient who was about to lose his only seeing eye.
He had developed an infection of the cornea [fungal keratitis].
According to Dr. Sugrim, “Tony Subraj, President of the Subraj Foundation, acted immediately to purchase and ship the desperately needed corneal tissue immediately to Guyana to save the patients only functioning eye.”
The current state of affairs is that the patient is now about to use his eye to move around and perform his daily tasks without assistance, Dr. Sugrim related.
A further four corneal transplants were done last February by GPHC surgeons. This, according to Dr. Sugrim, has resulted in a total of 88 Corneal Transplants being successfully completed at the GPHC through close collaboration with the Subraj Family Foundation.
This relationship with GPHC was started by the founder of the foundation – the late George Subraj. The foundation, on an intermittent basis, continues to assist with the provision of corneal tissues for sight-saving surgeries at GPHC. The GPHC Ophthalmology team was trained by US-based Corneal Specialists to perform these surgeries independently.
Reports suggest that corneal transplant patients have continuously been expressing their gratitude to the Foundation for giving them this opportunity to have their surgery performed here in Guyana than overseas.
Dr. Sugrim said, “Patients would usually have to travel overseas to have these procedures performed.”
Meanwhile, at a small ceremony held at GPHC Sunday, the Subraj Foundation donated three ophthalmic equipment to the GPHC Eye Department. These equipment, Dr. Sugrim said, include a table-top tonometer and a hand-held tonometer which are necessary equipment that aids eye care professionals to test the intraocular pressure [eye pressure].
The third equipment is a Corneal Topographer – an instrument that scans the cornea and aids in diagnosis of corneal diseases and also in management of cornea patients after cornea transplant surgery.
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