Welcome to the 11th episode of Beyond 2020, the video series from Andean Medical Mission | Bolivian Medical Charity that looks at strategies to eliminate avoidable blindness in countries with developing eyecare services and shares ideas and solutions to common difficulties in working abroad. 

Over the last few years, the Andean Medical Mission (AMM) have carried out training on the management of eye trauma and eye emergencies to 100 village doctors across northern Bolivia. This course has been a great success resulting much greater awareness of blinding emergencies, how to manage them and has greatly reduced the time taken between a patient presenting to a doctor and receiving the correct treatment through. Additionally AMM built the first ever 24-hour helpline for doctors in this region to call and discuss cases that concern them. Our course covers the diagnosis and management of:

  • Corneal ulcer
  • Penetrating injuries
  • Bacterial / fungal conjunctivitis
  • Blunt trauma
  • Orbital cellulitis
  • Uveitis / iritis
  • Chemical burns
  • Closed angle glaucoma
  • Mother to child birth canal infections, and
  • Endophthalmitis.

In this video, we share what we have learned for the benefit of other NGOs working to eliminate avoidable blindness. 

 

  

Please like and subscribe to the series to get each episode and join the conversation by commenting with your thoughts and views. We look forward to seeing you. Contact us for more information: www.andeanmedicalmission.co.uk

Dave Goldsmith, general manager of the Andean Medical Mission, can be contacted by email at: dave@andeanmedicalmission.co.uk.