LUNA, Apayao – Eye care system in the province got a major boost on August 6 as the Fred Hollows Foundation (FHF) officially turned over an eye health equipment valued at PhP1.25 million to the Far North Luzon General Hospital and Training Center (FNLGHTC) as part of a program launch held at the hospital grounds.
This equipment will significantly enhance the specialized services offered at the hospital for eye-related diseases requiring definitive care and interventional procedures.
The turnover was done as one of the activities of the launching of the Eye Health Systems Strengthening Integration (EHSSI) Project, a collaboration between the provincial government via its Provincial Health Office (PHO) and the FHF. This is a component of the agreement between the two parties that was inked last year creating the Eye Care Program of the province.
According to the PHO, the Eye Care Program “will provide every yApayao with high quality and accessible eye care services which will be achieved through Eye Health System Strengthening through implementation of comprehensive and sustainable community eye health programs in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), Municipal Local Government Units (MLGUs), and other stakeholders in the Provincial Eye Health Team.”
In the program’s framework, the PHO-regulated primary health care facilities (PHCF) are the first stop for minor eye conditions, and health promotion activities, including vision screenings in the communities and schools.
In addition to giving out free spectacles, referrals are then made following the exam, either to the volunteer optometrist for refraction or to the ophthalmologist for more serious eye conditions.
Dr. Maria Victoria Rondaris, FHF Country Manager, in her message during the project launch said their foundation has responded to the needs of yApayaos who have eye defects and needing medical attention.
“We are very happy to partner and support the province of Apayao. Gov. Bulut and the PHO team are very supportive of our cause and we hope and believe that you can sustain and expand the quality of eye health services in Apayao,” she said.
The foundation specified that two million Filipinos live with visual impairment, with 62% suffering from cataracts. The majority of people with poor eye health are poorer than the national poverty threshold or living in isolated rural areas, while the majority of the ophthalmologists in the country work in urban areas, private facilities, and hospitals.
Because eye illnesses are so common in the country, vision and eye health care have been a major concern. Refraction errors, glaucoma, and cataracts are few prevalent causes of blindness. By Jess Christley Marquez
