Two members of the Avon Lions Club, Dr. Jennifer McNamara and Dr. John Novak, traveled to El Salvador for a vision project in early February. They were part of a 60 person volunteer team organized by Eye Care International. Volunteers ranged in age from 15 to 82 years, and came from all over the US and Canada.
They spent 2 weeks, from February 2 – 16, giving eye examinations in the small town of Perquin, Morazan. A high percentage of the local population is afflicted with chronic vision issues, due to long days in the strong equatorial sun. This is compounded by the simple fact they typically do not have the financial means to correct even minor vision issues.
Drs. Jen and John and the volunteer team set up a clinic in a multipurpose building within the town. Local residents walked for hours and stood in long lines for a chance to be treated. Nearly 500 patients per day were examined, testing distance and near vision, glasses prescriptions and eye health. Over 4,000 pair of glasses were distributed, 39 false eyes made and 92 surgeries performed. The surgeries were primarily for cataracts and pterygium. At the end of two weeks a total of 4951 patients had been examined. Every patient was also given a pair of sunglasses to protect their eyes from further damage due to UV radiation.
Another connection to the Lions is the glasses distributed were donated by the Avon Lions club and other local Lions organizations. They were cleaned, packaged and sent down ahead of time. In total, 10,000 pairs of glasses were sent down one month prior to the team’s arrival in El Salvador. The remaining glasses will be distributed by local Peace Corps volunteers in their respective communities or stored for the next mission in one year.
