An article from Anthony Balocca, Canterbury Rotary
For the last 27 years, Canterbury Rotary Club has been sending a medical mission to different remote areas in the Philippines to help with screening of eyes and ears, working with a team of Filipino ophthalmic surgeons, optometrists, nurses, ENT surgeons and many others, examining people in remote areas. Last year, the surgeons performed 250 eye operations, many on patients with cataracts who had been totally blind for five years, and overall, we saw over 5000 villagers.
Image supplied by RC Canterbury
In early October, the Rotary Club of Canterbury will undertake its 27th annual Sight and Hearing Mission to the Philippines, continuing a long-standing commitment to improving access to healthcare for communities where medical services can be difficult to access or afford.
This year, a team of approximately 20–25 Australian volunteers will travel to the island of Masbate, working in partnership with the Rotary Club of Masbate and the Philippines EYEhEAR Foundation, Inc. (PEHF).
The mission will focus on identifying and assisting people experiencing sight and hearing problems. Working in local communities, including schools and community halls, Rotary volunteers will help triage large numbers of patients before they are assessed by Filipino ophthalmologists, ENT specialists, audiologists, optometrists and other medical professionals.
Patients requiring assistance may receive treatment, medication, reading glasses or sunglasses, while those requiring more specialised care can be referred for appropriate procedures. The mission also provides advice aimed at helping community members maintain their eye and ear health into the future.
A particularly important part of this year's mission is the involvement of four final-year Orthoptics students from La Trobe University. Selected in conjunction with the University, the students will participate actively in the screening and triage process, gaining valuable practical experience while contributing to the delivery of healthcare in communities facing very different circumstances from those encountered in Australia. The Rotary Club of Canterbury is grateful to everyone who has contributed to making this mission possible and, importantly, acknowledges the support provided through a Rotary Foundation District Grant. This support is helping fund the travel and accommodation costs of the four La Trobe University students participating in the mission.
Image supplied by RC Canterbury
The team involved in interviewing the La Trove university students recently, consisted of Canterbury Rotary club members, two who have been on 14 missions, Orthoptist Rachele Stin who has accompanied the mission on 4 occasions, and the Latrobe University student manager.
We look forward to sharing stories and photographs from the mission and reporting on the difference our volunteers, partners and students are able to make to the communities we visit.