- TfS is Working with
Turkish Partners to Provide Real Care
Patients waiting to be operated (the lenses size of each
of the patient are attached to their front head).
The Together for Sudan Eye Care Project offers free medical care for eye
injuries and illnesses including cataract surgery and eyeglasses for
Internally Displaced People (IDP) with special focus on schoolchildren
and women’s literacy classes.
The overall objective of this project is to prevent blindness and to
improve eye care among displaced people by reducing eye disease and
sight loss through treatment for eye conditions, provision of corrective
lenses for those in need and training community leaders and volunteers
in health & hygiene education. The dusty environment and the
untreated water resources on the outskirts of Khartoum are major reasons
for eye diseases and sight problems
Activities
During 2007 the project conducted 22 outreaches around Khartoum State in
IDPs areas where most of the residences are extremely poor and one
outreach in Kadugli. The number of the people seen during the 2007
outreaches conducted in Khartoum area was 2,287; (males: 629, females: 698
and children: 970).
A Turkish ophthalmic doctor and
ophthalmic assistant preparing to operate patient of
cataract with the phaco machine.
The number of patients operated on was 230, of which 104 operations were
for cataracts. In addition, these efforts were complemented by the Africa Cataract Project
(Turkish Mission) who operated on over 40 patients during 2007.
The number of glasses distributed was 392 spectacles of which 251 are reading
glasses.
The activities of the project included eye examination, provision of
treatment as necessary for glaucoma and other eye conditions, provision
of spectacles, and surgery for cataracts, squint, ingrown eyelashes
(trachoma) and eye tumors. Many patients have also been provided with
treatment for dysentery, chest infections and skin conditions.
Partnership & Official Support
A Turkish ophthalmic doctor and ophthalmic assistant
operating patient of cataract using the Phaco machine.
TFS’s initiatives to improve eye care health in the Khartoum area have
been praised by community leaders, CBOs and government officials. TFS is
the only organization working in the field of eye care outreach in the
Khartoum area to reach the poor people in the places where they live.
The majority do not have money to pay for transportation to go to
hospital in the city and their top priority is, naturally, to feed
themselves and their families.
TFS continues to receive many requests from community leaders who
realize the positive impact of the Eye Care Project in their communities
and urge TFS to return to their communities on a quarterly basis. But
this is not always possible due to increasing demand from other
communities in the Khartoum area and lack of funding.
A Patient under operation with the phaco machine.
Owing to these budget restrictions, TFS focuses on urgent
operations (which if not done immediately will lead to blindness). But,
until 2010, TFS is also able to refer some needy patients to the Turkish
Mission of the African Cataract Project who are in Khartoum doing
sterling work in coordination with Sudan Federal Ministry of Health and
the Department of Prevention of Blindness where they received cataract
surgeries at no cost to themselves. Without the TFS outreach many of
these people would have been completely unaware of this free assistance
and might have continued to suffer.
Your continued support makes this happen.
TFS Director, TFS Country Coordinator, Coordinator of the
Turkish Cataract Mission in Sudan and two ophthalmic doctors
in Khartoum Eye Care Hospital (a child with a cataract eye
problem in the picture with his father).
What you can do: Donations in any amount are much
appreciated. But please consider whether you are able to support work
such as this – and contribute to maintaining peace in Sudan – by
providing regular donations. Regular donations allow us to plan ahead
and work more effectively.
Just £50 ($70) will pay for cataract surgery and
follow up treatment.
Contact us now :-
enquiries@togetherforsudan