A new, comprehensive programme to promote eye health care in the community has been launched at The David Gordon Memorial Hospital (DGMH), Livingstonia. The programme involves re-opening the eye clinic at the hospital (closed in 2019 following the death of the clinician), and the provision of eye health screening in remote clinics and schools falling within the DGMH catchment area.
The first part of the plan included the appointment of an optometrist at the eye clinic at DGMH – who is Ms Tabu Chisi. And since June 2021, Ms Chisi has been delivering a comprehensive training programme for community screening, to include healthcare staff and patient attendants, as well as schoolteachers and local community leaders.
The first batch of trainees – community healthcare workers and patient attendants – hard at work at DGMH.
Now they’re ready to serve the people in their catchment area!
Banners at the entrance to the eye clinic at Livingstonia announce to local people that help with their sight problems is available within.
The Raven Trust was approached early in 2021 by DGMH’s hospital management with an outline plan for this programme, with a request to fund its early stages. Following evaluation and discussion, we were very happy to play a part in this well-considered project. The request also happened to coincide with an unexpected and very generous donation to the Trust. This enabled things to move ahead while being able to maintain our commitment to funding staff training at the other mission hospitals. We thank God for his perfect timing!
The programme at Livingstonia is the kind of development in community eye healthcare that The Raven Trust has been working ultimately to see established at the mission hospitals, and we feel very excited now to witness this happening – especially as it has been initiated, devised and implemented by local management and staff.