Hundreds of people have turned up at the Sai Prema Foundations free eye screening camp at the Sanjeevani Medical Centre in Nasese, Suva, to have their vision tested and receive prescription glasses from specialists from the United States and India.
Director and CEO of Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Heart Hospital Fiji, Dr Krupali Tappoo says more than 500 people have already registered for the screening.
Dr Tappoo says people have travelled from Suva, Nausori, Sigatoka, Rakiraki and surrounding areas to access the free service.
The wider outreach began with screenings in six rural villages in Nadi, Dratabu, Saunaka, Yavusania, Sikituru, Navatulevu and Narewa, before moving into schools.
The teams have since screened students across 83 schools in Ba, Lautoka, Nadi, Sigatoka, Suva and Nausori.
She also adds a total of 43,666 eye screenings have been conducted so far, with 1,183 prescription eyeglasses provided free of charge to people identified as needing them.
The outreach team has also provided specialised paediatric cardiac screenings, including echocardiograms, alongside the eye screening programme at participating schools in the West.
She says the initiative aims to make eye care accessible to people who may otherwise struggle to afford or access an eye examination.
Dr Tappoo says vision problems can particularly affect children, as a child who is unable to see clearly in the classroom may sometimes be mistaken for not understanding or grasping their schoolwork.
She says the team is providing reading and distance glasses, while people requiring further assessment or treatment are being referred to eye specialists.
Dr Tappoo says the current Suva screening follows an extensive outreach programme in the Western Division involving a team of about 40 people, including visiting specialists from the United States and India and staff from Sanjeevani Hospital.
Founder of Anekant Community Centre USA, Dr Nitin Shah says people aged 55 and above are initially assessed for possible cataracts, while those who pass the initial assessment undergo further testing using specialised equipment.
Dr Shah says the equipment can provide a prescription within 15 to 30 seconds, while people requiring more complex prescriptions are assessed by optometrists.
He says childrens vision screening is also an important part of the initiative because identifying and correcting vision problems at a young age can make a significant difference to their lives.
Dr Shah says the screening can take about 10 seconds per child, allowing large numbers of students to be screened in a short period.
He says his team has screened about 1.5 million children across 10 countries over the past two years, including about 70,000 children in Fiji during last years and this years programmes.
Dr Tappoo is encouraging people in the Central Division to take advantage of the free service, which will continue tomorrow from 8.30am to 3pm at the Sanjeevani Medical Centre in Nasese, Suva.
