Eyes4Everest is calling for adventurous optometrists to join two new outreach missions to Nepal, revealing plans to head to the Annapurna Mountain range, and the Langtang Valley – both remote areas renowned for their stunning natural beauty – for the first time.
Organiser Shaun Chang – who has led optometry treks to Sargamatha (Everest) National Park since 2014 – said local optometrists have asked for help, as the two regions are desperately in need of eye care.
“We’ll be travelling to Annapurna, home to the most dangerous 8,000 m mountain in the world. It is a remote region so there is not much access to eye care.
“The second place we’d like to go is the mountain valley of Langtang. This particular village was completely destroyed in the 2015 earthquake. It actually took two days for the rescue team to get there, because of how remote the area is,” Mr Chang said.
“Now that we have an eye clinic at Everest, I feel like we’ve done a pretty good job looking after the people in that region. Moving forward, we need to concentrate on other mountain communities in Nepal.”
It’s not as tough as Everest, but we tell everyone to come prepared because if you’re strong and healthy, you will be an effective team member for the eye camps.
Participating in the Trek
Mr Chang is hoping for two teams of eight to join local optometrists and guides for the 2025 treks.
“We need at least seven optometrists to run the eye camp. The other roles relate to history taking, dispensing of glasses, and other administrative tasks. You don’t need to be an optometrist to do that.
“So, there is the opportunity for people who want to bring their partners, older children to share the experience or even students who want to come on placements.”
But, Mr Chang warned, the trek can be gruelling, so a decent level of physical fitness is required. Training in the lead up to the trip is essential.
“It’s not as tough as Everest, but we tell everyone to come prepared because if you’re strong and healthy, you will be an effective team member for the eye camps”.
Mr Chang recommends swimming to help participants prepare for a hypoxic environment, as well as “lots of cardio”.
Hugely Fulfilling
Melbourne-based early career optometrist Jamie Atkinson was a volunteer on the October/November 2024 trek and said, while challenging, the experience was hugely fulfilling.
Across 11 days of trekking on the Renjo la Pass, Ms Atkinson and her cohorts walked nearly 100 km and gained over 2,500 m of elevation, delivering much-needed eye care to approximately 200 patients across three days at the Thamo, Thame, and Phortse eye camps.
“It’s really nice way to make a difference,” Ms Atkinson told mivision.
“When you do something like this, you just get that sense that you can really make a difference and really help people. That’s one of the reasons I joined the profession, to be able to help people and provide advice and care for people that really need it.
“Also, I think the challenge of the hike itself really gives you a sense of fulfillment. You do train a lot and it’s definitely challenging, but once you complete it, it’s such a great feeling. And you have your team members, who are all there with you the whole time, which gives you that real sense of comradery… it’s just a very uplifting experience.”
Ms Atkinson, who provides locum optometry and dispensing services to several practices, said the trip exposed her to a new culture and forced her to adapt her skills to a unique environment.
“We were pretty much just doing a general optometry examination but the ocular health station was limited to portable equipment like a hand-held slit lamp, binocular indirect ophthalmoscope, and tonometer. We were going out to small villages in the Himalayas, so fairly remote kind of areas, and providing an eye examination for anyone who wanted to come in.
“We could prescribe glasses, which were made in Kathmandu, and then sent up afterwards. We also facilitated referrals for cataracts and anything else that needed ophthalmology involvement.
“We managed dry eye and other ocular surface problems, and had access to topical lubricants, antibiotics, and steroid eye drops. Having the Nepali optometrists there really helped, because they knew how to organise referrals and get things done,” Ms Atkinson said.
Your Name, Sky High
Mr Chang said participants must self-fund the two- to three-week trip, which generally costs about AU$3,000.
“Some people self-fund, some people raise money to go on these trips, so we leave it to them to decide what they like to do. We pay for the Nepalese to come.”
And for those unable to complete the trek themselves, there’s always the opportunity to sponsor another optometrist, or support Eyes4Everest eye clinic at the Khunde Hillary Hospital.
“We’d like to keep the clinic at the Khunde Hospital running forever. At the moment, we have enough money to fund that hospital for five years. But beyond that, we will need help.
“For your support, we can put your name on the highest eye clinic in the world. It would be a win for you and the people in the Everest region”.
To learn more about sponsorship or volunteering for Eyes4Everest, visit: eyes4everest.org.au.
