Nurse Chevonne Clarke of the Princess Margaret Hospital in St. Thomas gives an eye test to her colleague, Winsome Johnson, during a week-long eye clinic held by the Canadian Friends - St. Thomas Health Care Organisation from January 7-11. - Photos by Arthur Green

MORANT BAY, ST. THOMAS:

Scores of Residents in St. Thomas continue to benefit from the generosity of a group of loyal Jamaicans in Canada, who for the past eight years have dedicated themselves to helping with the eye care of those who needs it most.

Canadian Friends - St. Thomas Health Care Organisation (CFSTHCO) is currently conducting its annual eye clinic at the Princess Margaret Hospital in St. Thomas as part of its mandate to bring eye care assistance to the people of the parish.

Upbeat mood

The organisation's, chairman, Dan Williamson, who is also head of communications and president, Andrea Wilkie, were very upbeat when they spoke to The Gleaner on the first of the four-day clinic at the Princess Margaret Hospital on Monday.

The two reiterated the organisation's commitment to doing all it can to assist every needy person with the necessary eye care.

The objective of the programme, according to Williamson, is to ensure total eye care for as many as is possible.

The organisation, which is in its twentieth year, has been focusing on eye care since 1999 and has been taking teams to Jamaica ever since.

In expounding the virtues of the programme Mr. Williamson said in 2006 the clinic examined 301 patients, in 2007 they saw 309 and the numbers are expected to hover in the same region this year.

CFSTHCO is a charitable organisation, whose mission is to assist in the provision in health care and other services to the communities of Jamaica.

It is an affiliate of the Canadian Foundation for World Development and a member of the National Council of Jamaicans and Supportive Organisations in Canada.

Free glasses

In addition to the extensive and comprehensive testing carried out by the team of eye care professionals led this time around by optometrist Dr. Jim Nig and optician Veronica Chen both of Toronto, prescriptions are administered and eye glasses issued free of cost.

As part of its long-term strategic plan CFSTHCO has announce that the parish of St. Thomas and the Princess Margaret Hospital is in line to have a permanent state of the art eye clinic on a weekly basis equipped with the latest and most modern technology.

The gift has been made possible with the support of a Canadian sponsor and the anticipated partnership and facilitation of the Ministry of Health.

- Arthur Green