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The objectives of this project are to support the charity Mission for Vision, who wish to develop Vision centres (for eye testing)in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where there are currently no opticians. Their first permanent clinic will open in Kinshasa, which besides providing optometry services to the local population, will also train local people in the provision of primary eye care services and spectacle manufacture, enabling additional vision centres to open throughout the country.
The Charity's own research has shown that there are currently no optometrists with sight testing facilities in the whole of the D R Congo. The need is therefore enormous. People have to travel to either South Africa or Europe to access eye care services and therefore only the very wealthy are able to receive such help. Local hospitals have ophthalmic departments, but lack basic equipment. The charity has met with Government officials who have suggested that Mission for Vision provide advice and screening services for driving licence applications, for which eye testing is not currently undertaken. The Government is also very keen for the charity to provide screening in schools. There is a desperate need for trained eye care specialists, not only in Kinshasa, but throughout the country.
The need for trained eye care specialists will initially be met utilising volunteer optometrists from the UK to train skilled nurses in Kinshasa to a level that will enable them to set up their own practices and to train others in due course. Thereafter the aim is to bring people from the rural communities to the training centre in Kinshasa and train them to a level that will enable them to provide good basic primary eye care services to their own communities. They will then return to their communities where they will set up in practice with training and equipment provided by Mission for Vision. The Government has shown a willingness to provide buildings that will facilitate this process. Whilst the training is taking place the Kinshasa clinic will be in operation and will start to generate revenue to help cover the rent and staff costs. One of the key factors relating to operating in the rural areas is access to equipment that is appropriate for such an environment. Mission for Vision has designed and is developing a unique machine for cutting lenses that will enable the assembly of spectacles to be carried out at these rural practices. It will be light, portable, reliable and solar powered. There is nothing currently on the market that fits these criteria which is why Mission for Vision has developed it. All the students will be trained in the use of this machine and will be given one to take to their practices when the training is complete.
Dieudonne Lumbi , director of ECAP (Eye Clinics for Africa Program) which is the division of Mission for Vision dedicated to the setting up of Eye Clinics in Africa, was born in the D R Congo and came to the UK to train in optometry. It has always been his intention to return to his country to help bring about change and put optometry on the map. He has many contacts within the Government and also has family members who will be involved in the project. Our initial intake of students will include nurses already known to Dieudonne. The Government has set up the Kabilla Foundation which is run by the president's twin sister Jaynet Kabilla. The foundation works in partnership with humanitarian organizations operating in the country. Mission for Vision has been in direct contact with Ms Kabilla who has pledged her support to the program. Contact has also been established with the Rotary Club of Kinshasa Gombe and they have pledged their assistance with this project. Contact has been made with local hospitals who have shown a great interest in using the facilities at the Clinic.
A full-time paid optometrist will be employed alongside the visiting volunteer optometrists to ensure continuity of the training that students receive. The training will include how to carry out subjective refraction, identify the main eye diseases and how to refer, how to dispense and make glasses using the lens edging machine which has been custom made for this purpose. A French language syllabus will be used that has been designed for vision centres in Africa by Brien Holden (A recognised authority on training in optometry specifically in Africa). The training will include a combination of class room studies and practical work with patients. Multi media and virtual training over the internet will also be utilised. School teachers will receive training to help them identify visual problems experienced by their pupils and to identify the early signs of refractive error. Once the initial intake of students have been trained volunteer optometrists will continue to provide teaching throughout the year. Dieudonne has contacts in the medical profession in Kinshasa and he will select the most suitable candidates for this project. There are many highly trained nurses who have not been able to secure employment and this will provide them with a very good opportunity. After the first intake of students nurses from the rural communities will be invited to join subsequent training programs and this will involve input from the local health authorities in the various districts.
Proposed timeline for the project is as follows:
1: Agreement with Congo Government to establish terms by which Mission for Vision can operate in the country 1 week (already competed)
2: Source suitable building to rent in Kinshasa, which can be adapted for use as an eye clinic and training centre. 1 month (already completed)
3: Renovate building, including creation of boundary walls, wiring, plumbing, creation of living quarters, a glazing laboratory, training and consultation rooms (1 month).
4: Finalise building modifications, including solar panel installation and general work on roof and internal walls. At this stage funds will be required in order to purchase a suitable vehicle and the solar panels. Delivery to be taken of a 40 foot container filled with donated optical equipment and furniture for the vision centre (2 months).
5: Clinic starts. At this stage funding will be required to pay a salaried centre manager to oversee all operations at the vision centre. It is intended that the centre will provide affordable eye care which will generate revenue to cover the running costs within 12 months. Once the centre is self sustaining it will enable eye care service to be made available free of charge to those living in the poorer rural communities. This activity will be on going, depending on suitable accommodation being made available for the volunteer optometrists coming from abroad to work in this project.
6: Training starts in September 2014. Besides being trained in optometry the students will learn how to operate a bespoke portable lens cutting machine. They will also be taught to train others in order to make the program self sustaining. 6-9 months for the initial intake of students and then it will be ongoing.
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