Cataract Surgery

 Cataract surgery improves vision and quality of life. 

Do not spend your days in the dark when you can see better. May ara kami weekly screening kada Miercoles sang aga. Wala requirement. Libre ang screening. Kadto lang. alas otso bukas na kami. #LoveYour Eyes

School Eye and Ear Health @ Leyte National High School

In partnership with Edmund Rice Ministries Foundation, Tacloban City LGU, Dr. Maybelle Pajo and the Regional Office of DOH 8, we conducted an Eye and Ear Screening in Leyte National High School last July 18-19, 2018.

Prior to the event, twelve (12) Supreme Student Government and first aiders were trained on how to use the smartphone based app, PEEK acuity to help the team in pre-screening by getting the visual acuity.

Before the screening started, a lecture/education awareness on the proper care of their eyes and ears were given. Thirty seven (37) sections of Grade VII along with the students under Special Education classes were the beneficiaries. 

Of the 1,338 screened;

• 1,205 were found to have normal vision
• 1 with cataract
• 132 were with uncorrected refractive errors (9.8%)

volunteers for visual acuity testing using the Tumbled E chart

Getting of visual acuity using the smartphone app, PEEK 

the team who came and conquered. ;)

All the 1,338 were also checked for ears and results follow:

• 154 have impacted cerumen (11.5%) all of which were removed and/or treated
• 3 found to have otitis media and were given medication
• 1 found to have fungi and was removed
• 2 found to have perforated ear drums and were referred for further assessment

And this is the usual scenario whenever we conduct eye and ear health testing in schools.

Otoscopy

Looking closely at what could be there inside the ear

Edmund Rice Ministries Foundation doing the otoscopy and removal of impacted cerumen and foreign objects

And one more look at the team who made it all happen. Cheers! ;)

School Vision Testing: How important is it to school children?

See the World with Eyeglasses

looking back 2006

Eye, Ear, Dental, and Feeding Mission in Albay

Last October 11-15 we welcomed once again the team of RC Canterbury from Melbourne, Australia for a weeklong mission.  There were 21 of them who came this year.

This is our first try also outside of Visayas as we had it in Region 5, in the province of Albay.  We were very lucky to have partnered with a superb Rotary Club of Legazpi West, Elmer Aspe Foundation, and the Dios Mabalos Po Foundation thus a Feeding Program was incorporated in this year's mission, another first ;)

We pre-selected 9 towns of Albay to serve where we believe the need is greater:

1. Bacacay
2. Malilipot
3. Polangui
4. Oas
5. Libon
6. Manito 
7. Jovellar
8. Guinobatan
9. Pio Duran

Simultaneous to the community Eye Screening in all these towns were Ear Screening and Feeding of all students in selected public elementary schools and Dental Education and Teeth Extraction in public high schools.

Result for EYE:

• mature cataract - 104
• immature cataract - 115
• glaucoma - 3
• advanced pterygium - 22
• slight pterygium - 24
• referred to optometrist - 136
• referred to ophthalmologist - 52
• other cases - 52
• reading glasses dispensed - 906
• sunglasses dispensed - 78
• normal eyes - 318
• conjunctivitis - 11

In total we have screened 1,821 persons.


RESULT for EAR and HEARING:

• normal ears - 11,209
• perforation - 24
• otitis media - 224
• fungi - 12
• impacted wax - 5,123
• referred to ENT - 2

In total, we have screened 16,414 ears; 8,207 school children


Result for DENTAL:
There were a total of 734 teeth extractions and 2,350 toothbrushes given away.  Big thanks to Sharni  Bartlett  and all the members of Rotaract Club South Brisbane, Australia as they funded all the supplies needed for Dental work, Dios Mabalos Po Foundation for donating some toothbrushes, Rotary Club of Bacolod North as well as Hapee Lamoiyan Corporation for donating toothbrushes and toothpastes, and head lice treatment shampoo, and of course for Bong Aspe and his team of dentists. 


Result for FEEDING:
More than 14,000 school children were fed by Dios Mabalos Po Foundation.

It was indeed a very worthwhile and successful project.  We are very grateful for the new partnerships and for the people we have met and whom we became friends with.  Special thanks also to NAVFORSOL, TOG 5 Phil Air Force, and to Col. Gems Molina and his team for giving us security in all the places that we went to. 

Also worth mentioning are Pres. Dan Daz, Engr. Bert Recamunda of RC Legazpi West for superb support that they extended, Tita Med Villanueva and her wonderful team of volunteer nurses who acted as interpreters, to Legaspi Eye Center who will take care of all the referred patients, and to all others that we may have forgotten to mention BIG THANKS for making this all happen.  Until next year again ;)

Community Screening in Brgy. Granada, Bacolod City

Our kick off activity for 2010 was a big medical mission in barangay Granada and we were asked to join and do eye and ear screening together with all other teams.  I was asked by Atty. Palermo who is running for Vice Mayor of Bacolod City come this election.  Didn't hesitate to say 'yes' as she is known to us in helping groups of people with disabilities.  I get to join her with Melchor once in a while in their radio program in Veritas especially if we need to campaign or raise awareness on some important things.

The event fell on a Sunday and since people from our Visayas hEARing Center is working until Saturday, they chose to have Sundays for their rest and so I decided to come with Olive believing we can handle it; anyway it was just for a half day.  I was wrong.  But not completely.;_)  When we arrived in the venue, covered court of the barangay, it was crowded with patients.  We nearly missed our lunch as we wanted to finish them all but we finished at almost 5pm.  All the other teams have gone and only us were left.  We have no heart to turn down the patients who patienly queued, might have missed their lunch too, and never complained why we were so slow.  For what can you do if there is only the 2 of us with over 300 of them?

 Atty. Palermo and her team, MoNoPal (Monico, Novero, Palermo) sponsored the reading glasses of those who need it and of course all cataract patients we saw are due for further check up in the clinic setting.

Found also a few children with eye problems.  And they are all referred to our partner pedia ophtha.

I like this particular project because for once politicians were there to help (i hope not only because it's campaigning time but also after they have won the battle) and lots of people came.  I don't mind networking with politicians so long as they mean well and they're taking care of its people.  If this is what it takes for them to know the common problems of its people and to be aware of our existence then yes, we can work together for the common good of all and together we can achieve more. ;_)

So where's next?  I will let you know. ;)

eye screening in Bohol

Kim sorting the sun glasses and reading glasses after 3 days of screening

the couple tandem of Ernie and Analie of IDEA Bohol was amazing throughout the 5day screening to 9 towns all over Bohol. Here doing the statistics after the long and tiring days. we finished almost midnight! ;-(

the yummy lechon in Anda, Bohol prepared by the very accommodating and welcoming Mayor

so much food and soooooooo good!

Olive selling the sun glasses for those who need it to protect their eyes from pterygium, and other eye infections

Some of the members of RC Canterbury, Australia

Group picture after screening in Calape, Bohol

this boy was found during the ear screening with visual problems so was referred for further test to Dr. Oliver Yu

article from Bohol chronicle

An Eye-opening Experience
SARAH SCHWARZ
New York, USA
For two days this past week I joined the Rotary Club of Tagbilaran as they performed free medical screenings all across Bohol. With partner clubs from Bacolod and even Australia, as well as generous support from the Cataract Foundation, more than one thousand Boholanos were screened for vision and hearing; receiving medical care and many pairs of sunglasses.

Carmen, Guindulman, Anda and Dagohoy were just a few of the towns visited by these doctors, students and humanitarians: they spent long days to reach as many patients as possible within a short time. Even so, with all of their effort, it seems there are many more Boholanos who still require eye care. In fact, this island was chosen for the vision mission because, accordingly, Bohol has the highest rate of blindness in the Philippines.

Perhaps due to the agriculture industry based here, which requires long hours spent working outdoors in the bright sunlight, many Boholanos develop cataracts in their eyes. These can be painful and itchy, and the best way to prevent their formation is to wear sunglasses whenever outside. Hundreds of elementary school children were screened for hearing, as well. Even those with ear problems remained cheerful and energetic, offering tours of their school to the visitors and posing for photos.

All in all, this was a wonderful chance to experience the real Bohol and meet Filipinos from all walks of life, while seeing much of the natural beauty of the island and supporting a good cause. When I return to the United States I will certainly carry many memories of the warm and welcoming Boholano spirit and encourage others to visit and learn from the compassion and resilience that I have been lucky to experience.

http://www.theboholchronicle.com/searchresult.php?sid=5034&rtopic=cataract%20foundation&section=3

Our Lady of Peace Mission School

Right after Sipaway National High School, we went back to San Carlos City to travel back to Bacolod City. On the way, there's one more school to screen, Our Lady of Peace Mission School in Tagbulod, Barangay Prosperidad, San Carlos City. It is situated on a hilly part and the temperature is almost like Baguio City. ;-)

We screened 210 students for the eye and about 400+ for the ears.

They decorated this stage as if we are from the other side of the country with matching tables and chairs as if we're going to give a symposium. hehehe

Students gathered for the orientation before the screening.

Kim, assisting for the getting of distance visual acuity.

Since it rained hard during the screening it was so slippery going down and our shoes after were 5inches high! ;-)

screening in Sipaway Island

After Julio Ledesma National High School screening, we proceeded to Sipaway Island, a 20minute boat ride from San Carlos City.

August 13, 2008 we screened the 195 students of Sipaway National High School for eye and ear problems.

It was drizzling when we came but we were warmly welcomed by the school staff. Students stayed back after flag ceremony to listen for the orientation. This island, even only 2ominute away from San Carlos, has no electricity supply so we made use of the megaphone and even the school rely on it to get the attention of students for important announcements.

Pupils queuing up to be tested

Mavis getting the distance visual acuity

Group picture with the school staff and teachers after the half day screening

eye and ear screening in San Carlos City

Last August 11-12, the working force of cfpi and vecc went out for a mission in San Carlos City. The group won't fit in one car so others took the Ceres bus. It was a 2 hour drive to the city from Bacolod. We screened 2,000+ students of Julio Ledesma National High School. It was such a feat!

Orientation with the students during flag ceremony

Otoscopy testing

Getting the distance visual acuity