| >
Infrastructure
& Technology - (strengthening, rehabilitation,
development in priority areas)
> Disease
Control - (cataract, refractive error, glaucoma,
diabetic retinopathy, low vision & childhood blindness)
>
Human Resource Development - (ophthalmologists,
health professionals and ophthalmic technicians)
During 2007, IRIS programs focussed on:
EQUIPPING NEW & EXISTING EYE CLINICS
To increase the number of eye clinics in the periphery,
IRIS funded all the ophthalmic equipment needed to establish
a new eye clinic at Embilipitiya Hospital in the southern
province, where the newly appointed Ophthalmologist will
now perform 1,000 blindness prevention surgeries annually.
IRIS also funded 28 pieces of essential equipment, cataract
instruments and low vision devices being provided to seven
existing eye clinics.
For much of 2007, the only hospital equipped to treat people
with diabetic retinopathy was the Eye Hospital in Colombo.
Through a partnership with the Rotary Club of Kandy and
Zeiss in Germany, IRIS provided a new laser and fundus camera
to the Centre for Sight in Kandy that will benefit thousands
of people across the country and also save them the expense
of having to travel to Colombo.
EYE SCREENING, REFRACTION AND SURGERY PROGRAMS FOR POOR
PEOPLE
In partnership with local Rotary, Inner Wheel & Zonta
Clubs, Welfare Officers in local villages and tea plantation
companies, IRIS supported the staging of 19 eye screening,
refraction and surgery programmes that were attended by
3,671 people. Spectacles to correct visual impairment were
provided free-of-charge to 2,414 people and 961 people underwent
blindness prevention surgery to remove cataracts at eye
clinics IRIS resourced with all the required medical consumables.
In 2007, IRIS entered into a new partnership with Kelani
Valley Plantations Ltd (KVPL) that trained 254 management
and medical staff, welfare officers and midwives on KVPL
tea estates in primary eye care. Staff are now capable of
organising regular eye screening sessions for the 15,900
employees on all 27 KVPL estates. IRIS also subsidised the
cost of cataract surgeries resulting from eye screening
sessions.
SRI LANKA - 2007
Expenditure |
| Equipping New &
Existing Eye Clinics |
212,973 |
| Eye Screening, Refraction &
Surgery Programs |
58,194 |
| Monitoring, Logistics
& Administration |
27,331 |
| Program support costs |
37,182 |
Totals
(US$) |
$335,680 |
Priorities for 2008:
IRIS will continue to target the provision of eye screening,
refraction and cataract surgery programs, through partnerships
already established with Rotary, Zonta and Inner Wheel clubs,
Village Welfare Officers and tea plantation companies. A
surgery program will also be established for poor people
living in districts surrounding Batticaloa on the east coast.
IRIS will also respond to requests from the Ministry of
Healthcare & Nutrition IRIS to equip new eye clinics
in the periphery.
Throughout 2008, IRIS will continue to stage primary eye
care training courses for tea estate superintendents, medical
assistants, welfare officers and midwives in a partnership
with ophthalmologists at the Centre for Sight in Kandy.
Once trained, individuals will be able to recognize eye
problems and refer people for treatment to the local eye
clinic.
IRIS will also seek to support initiatives to prevent childhood
blindness and provide low vision devices and aids to children
whose education is threatened due to their visual impairment.
SRI
LANKA PROGRAM BUDGET 2008 |
| Equipping
New & Existing Eye Clinics |
115,575 |
| Eye Screening, Refraction
& Surgery Programs |
111,276 |
| Primary
Eye Care & Training Courses |
9,413 |
| Childhood Blindness
& Low Vision |
71,175 |
| Coordination & Planning |
8,160 |
| Program support costs |
54,118 |
Totals
(US$) |
$369,717 |
 |
|
 |
| IRIS & Rotary Village Eye
Screening Camp |
|
Patients returning home after
cataract surgery |
|