San Pedro, Ambergris Caye saw the opening of its very first eye clinic this past weekend as “Stanford Belize Vision Clinic” held a small inauguration on Thursday, May 25, 2017. The Clinic is located on the second floor of the San Pedro Lions Den.
The Clinic will provide eye screening to check for diseases and/or abnormalities; also offering eyeglasses prescriptions free of charge to children. Adults can take advantage of the free service once the clinic opens, but a small fee will be added in the future to offset traveling expenses of the doctors coming to the island from abroad. Vision glasses will come at a minimum cost, being provided by BCVI in Belize City.
Kids.Org has partnered with Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI), San Pedro Lions Club and Stanford University in order to make this clinic a reality for La Isla Bonita. Services will officially be provided in August.
Canary Cove property owner of Ambergris Caye Don Listwin and his wife, who saw the need of making more basic necessities a reality for the island children, founded Kids.Org. They have built classrooms at San Pedro R.C School, added more classrooms and a recreational palapa for New Horizon Academy, and also have beautified Boca Del Rio Park. Their contributions to the island community have been extensive and much appreciated by residents.
Even though services of the clinic are geared towards children, Kids.Org realized that even adults can benefit from it and will be available to them at a minimum cost. Most of the funding for this and other projects have come from the Listwin family at Canary Cove, but they are positive that other businesses in the community will assist financially for the benefit of the community.
The clinic will be tasked to fly in eye doctors and special equipment from abroad in order to provide the services.
Some of their equipment include:
a. Phoropter: used to get the best-corrected visual acuity and determines eye prescription.
b. Slit Lamp: a microscope to closely examine anterior portion the eye and checks for any diseases or abnormalities.
c. Tonometer: used to measure the pressure of the eye.
d. Lensometer: used to measures the power of an existing lens.
e. Retinoscope: used to observe the retina and determine the refractive error of the eye and the need for eyeglasses.
Even though there will be no permanent doctor stationed at the Vision Clinic, temporary doctors and intern students will be providing services from time to time. However, running the Vision Clinic is local resident Consi Nunez who will be present full time. She is currently training to be certified as a ophthalmologist assistant. Over a period of months she has been taking online courses, training at BCVI and working hands on with doctors.
This is indeed a great addition to the medical services provided on the island of Ambergris Caye, one that everyone can and should take advantage of. For more information about the clinic and updates as to when it will open full time, feel free to email at bkovision0322@gmail.com
