Orbis to assist over 60,000 Mekong Delta children with eye care next year

ABO/NDO – Orbis international organisation will support more than 60,000 children in the Mekong Delta region with eye check-ups and assist over 10,000 students with surgeries under a project slated for next year.

Authorities of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on May 19 received representatives of the organisation regarding the integration of an eye screening project into annual health examination for children in 2023.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thuc Hien spoke highly of Obis’ projects which help residents in the Mekong Delta access high-quality eye care services, asking the organisation to care more for rural children.

At the working session (Photo: VNA).

He assigned relevant agencies to support and build specific plans for the launch of projects.

Doris Macharia, Senior Vice President of Global Programmes of Orbit International, expressed her hope that in the coming year, hospitals and relevant agencies in Can Tho will continue to work with the non-profit organisation in the implementation of programmes providing children with eye screening and improving skills of health workers in ophthalmology.

Orbis will cover the fees for the services for about 500 poor and pre-school children, improve capacity of health workers in the community, teachers and school nurses through three-week training courses in May 2023, she added.

The organisation has worked with the health sector of Can Tho to roll out various eye care projects for children, particularly the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, which provides eye treatment for more than 200 patients and improves skills for some 100 ophthalmologists.

In 2017, the organisation began its project to support children in the Mekong Delta and present medical supplies to local hospitals.

(Source: NDO)