A new collaborative effort aims to improve the vision of the Queensland’s regional and remote indigenous people.
The Australian charity Essilor Vision Foundation will support Queensland’s IDEAS Van (Indigenous Diabetes Eyes and Screening) by providing free prescription spectacles to meet its patients’ needs.
The IDEAS Van provides a visiting service to regional and remote indigenous communities with first class specialist services delivered in the familiar cultural surrounds of a Community Controlled Health Service.
Essilor Vision has operated in many countries around the world for over a decade and in Australia since mid-2016 with a stated goal to achieve “Better Life through Better Sight.”
Working with the IDEAS Van means that we can still undertake our projects while adding value
Specifically, it works to improve vision outcomes for indigenous people, refugees and migrants, people with mental illness and school children.
Using the generous services of volunteer optometrists, optometry students, dispensers and practice staff it screens large groups of clients, refers on for comprehensive optometric examination and provides free prescription spectacles if required.
Speaking of the opportunity to work with Essilor Vision, IDEAS Van CEO Lyndall De Marco said, “The collaboration is the perfect union of two like-minded organisations who want to make a difference in Indigenous eye health.
“While our ophthalmologists and optometrists identify and treat a range of ocular conditions and diseases, it is a fact that many of our patients will simply require a basic pair of prescription spectacles to remedy poor vision – that’s where the Foundation’s support will be invaluable.”
Foundation CEO, Greg Johnson said he “was over the moon” with the announcement.
“Much of the Foundation’s work is in large scale screenings where considerable human resources are required.
“Working with the IDEAS Van means that we can still undertake our projects while adding value. The Van’s diagnostic and referral system works through the provision of free prescription spectacles for patients and by encouraging more eye health professionals to assist the Van as it moves across regional and remote Queensland.”
