Jeheim Elliott, a student at Prospect Primary School, has his eyes tested by Dr Eugene Foley as part of the Lions' Sight-screening Programme, which provides free testing for children twice during their schooling. Photo by Christopher Tobutt
The Lions Sight Screening programme aims to provide free sight testing for all school-aged children in the Cayman Islands twice during their school careers, both when they begin primary school, and again when they begin secondary school.
The Lions Club is dependent on the expert help, offered for free, provided by several local optometrists: Dr Elaine Campbell; Dr Eugene Foley; Dr Krishna Mani; Dr Joanna Soutter, and Dr Natalee Da Silva.
The Lions Club of Grand Cayman started its Sight Conservation programme in 1974 by financing an eye operation at the Bascom Palmer Institute in Miami, Florida.
In 1992, the Club decided that in order to effectively support its sight programme, it would need a central facility. With the help of the corporate community, the general public and the Government, the Lions' Eye Clinic was opened at a cost of $240,000.
Today, in addition to free eye testing, they financially assist people within the community with all aspects of vision care, including the provision of eyeglasses and even surgery if this becomes necessary.
Each year hundreds of Lions Clubs around the world hold vision screenings, community education programmes, eyeglass collections and other special projects to mark Lions' World Sight Day which takes place in October each year, and this day was celebrated on 12 October.
Lions' World Sight Day was created in 1998 to spotlight the importance of eradicating preventable blindness and improving sight.
Lion Philip Hislop was present at the screening programme that was taking place at Prospect Primary School (one of the many schools visited), on Monday 16 October, as Dr Foley set up the projector showing the letters and symbols used for the eye test in the school's infirmary.
"This is one of the major projects that the funds have been used for, since the club's inception," Mr Hislop said.
Mr Hislop expressed his thanks to all the optometrists who volunteer their time, without whom the programme would be impossible.
He also expressed his appreciation, on behalf of the Lions Club, to the public who have made such programmes possible by providing the necessary funds:
"Every penny we get, we raise from the public, so we want to show the public how that money is being spent," he explained.
christopher@caymannetnews.com
