May 2018
The main purpose of this trip was address vision, eye health and reading problems in El Rosario and surrounding communities. As part of our agricultural development program, ACTS pursued this vision health initiative initially in an effort to make sure all local farmers are able to read warning labels on agricultural chemical products, and it broadened from there. The ACTS team traveled to El Rosario with Dr. Carlos Gonzalez, an Emery University trained ophthalmologist with a private practice in San Pedro Sula (SPS). Dr. Gonzales was supported by Dra. Suyapa Bejarano and her team of medical students from SPS, who took this opportunity to continue their program of cancer and health screening in the region. Also benefitting from eye exams was a group of school children from nearby schools who had been identified as having eye problems and some senior citizens with significant eye problems. Reading glasses were supplied by ACTS for everyone who needed them and Dr. Carlos provided written prescriptions for everyone in need of more sophisticated glasses. About a dozen patient were diagnosed with cataracts and have been scheduled for surgical correction by Dr.Carlos at his SPS office. He will be performing the surgeries for free.
If you think 400 eye exams in two days sounds like a colossal task, you would be correct!
The rainy season has arrived, on time and in force. The farmers are very optimistic.
