Caribbean Times 7th Issue - Tuesday 28th February 2017

2 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g
Tuesday 28th February 2017
Ministry of Health to implement latest stage
of Barbuda’s Eye Screening Programme
The Ministry of Health
and the Environment, in collaboration
with Caribbean
Council for the Blind (CCB)
Eye Care Caribbean, will
soon embark upon the latest
stage of its Barbuda Eye
Screening Programme.
Ministry officials and
a CCB Eye Care Caribbean
technician will travel to
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Codrington next week to
distribute glasses to 165
Barbudans.
The distribution of the
glasses is a direct result of
the successful eye-screening
process which took place
in Barbuda in early October
2016. It also reflects the
commitment of the Government
of Antigua and Barbuda
to providing the highest
quality eye care to the people
of Barbuda.
The October eye-screening
initiative was the first of
its kind ever to be conducted
in Barbuda.
A total of 317 individuals
were screened during a
four-day period at the Hanna
Thomas Hospital. The objective
was to identify common
eye diseases, namely
glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy
and cataract affecting
Barbudans.
As a consequence of the
screening, it was determined
that 174 individuals had serious
refractive errors that
necessitated the need for
glasses.
Standing by its policy
objective that Barbuda must
not be left behind, the Antigua
and Barbuda Government
decided to fund the
cost of the 174 glasses and
distribute them to those in
need.
In early January, a team
of Ministry of Health officials
and a CCB Eye Care
Caribbean Optometrist paid
a second visit to Barbuda.
The 174 individuals were
contacted and tested for
their glasses.
One hundred and sixty-five
glasses will be distributed
next week. An additional
nine individuals who
had high blood sugar levels
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at the time of a prior clinical
evaluation will be re-examined
at the end of March
and their eye glasses will be
fabricated based on the follow-up
assessment.
Other cases for which
there was no immediate
need for eye glasses were
referred to Mount St. John’s
Medical Center and the individuals
were subsequently
treated at the MSJMC Outpatient
Clinic.
Some were diagnosed
with early cataract and elevated
eye pressure and will
have follow-up appointments
in March. Others
who were identified for either
cataract or pterygium
surgery were contacted in
November and are currently
being monitored.
Next week’s visit by
Ministry of Health officials
and the CCB Eye Care Caribbean
technician to distribute
the 165 eye classes,
represents the most recent
stage in this first ever Barbuda
Eye Screening Programme.
The Ministry’s partner
in this initiative, CCB Eye
Care Caribbean, is a Caribbean
vision care organization
whose mission is to
make care affordable to all
and who offers eye classes
at reduced rates. CCB Eye
Care Caribbean currently offers
eye-care services at the
Clare Hall, Johnson’s Point
and Grays Farm Clinics.