Ophthalmic Care

Ophthalmic Care in St John is involved in a number of eye health projects in rural and remote NSW as well as supporting the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem.

Dubbo

St John has provided eye screening equipment to the Thubbo Aboriginal Medical Services, which in conjunction with the Save Sight Institute, provides a teleophthalmic eye screening and treatment program for diabetic retinopathy, serving Indigenous patients living in the Dubbo region. The equipment is used to carry out the screening and transmission of the images for diagnosis or storage.

St John Pius X Eye Clinic

In Moree, St John supports the ophthalmic work carried out by the Pius X Aboriginal Corporation, including the donation of eye screening equipment that is used in the Pius X Eye Clinic. A mobile camera was also donated to screen the eyes of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. The images are sent to an ophthalmologist in Tamworth for review and follow-up if necessary. The images are able to detect any eye abnormalities and are used as an early intervention tool for preventable eye disease or other underlying health problems such as diabetes. St John volunteers also provide assistance to the program coordinator when conducting the mobile eye screenings in outreach areas such as Mungindi and Toomelah.

Jerusalem

St John supports the work of the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem by paying the annual salary of an ophthalmic nurse. The hospital also operates an Outreach Program which travels into remote areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to deliver diagnostic and primary eye care to the young, frail and elderly who are unable to travel.

More information about the St John Eye Hospital Jerusalem can be found at www.stjohneyehospital.org.