Optometrist Christopher Dean examines an East Timorese woman.By Sarah Schwager
A LOCAL optometrist helped disadvantaged people when he volunteered his services in East Timor recently.
It was the second volunteer eyecare trip to East Timor for Christopher Dean, who works for the Pakenham, Moe and Warragulbased Leunig and Farmer Eyecare.
“I went to Timor in July last year and found the experience extremely satisfying, so when I was asked to go again this year, I jumped at the opportunity,” Mr Dean said.
Mr Dean was the only Victorian representative of a small group that included two optometrists, two eye surgeons, two theatre nurses and a medical student.
The team was based at the hospital in Baucau, East Timor’s second largest town, about two hours’ drive from the capital, Dili.
“We optometrists saw all patients first and those who needed glasses were supplied with low cost spectacles while those who had cataracts were sent straight across the walkway to see the eye surgeons,” Mr Dean said.
He said the team also saw many East Timorese with vision problems due to eye injuries and Vitamin A deficiency.
The team managed to see 323 patients in four days.
Of these, about 130 were helped with spectacles and 65 received cataract operations.
“We were fortunate to have a good supply of drops and ointments with us, donated from Australia,” Mr Dean said.
“While we were not able to help everybody, even those who could not be treated were thankful to be able to have an examination and to have their eye condition clearly explained to them.
“It was a really great privilege.
“It is a pity we were not able to do more but these trips will continue for the immediate future. There has been an average of about three trips like this over the last four years so it’s been good.”
He said one patient also received surgery for a turned eye and a girl had a painful blind eye surgically removed.
Mr Dean also assisted in the postoperative checks after cataract surgery.
“To see the expressions on the patients’ faces after removing their eyepads the morning after surgery was a wonderful experience,” he said.
“Most would grin broadly, and there were the occasional tears of joy at being able to see again as for some patients it had been several years since they had been able to see at all.”
