Your donations provide surgical supplies and equipment to local medical professionals and volunteer medical teams throughout the world.
Upcoming Clinics in 2012:
San Salvador, El Salvador (April) 60 surgeries: Drs. Robeto Julio, Eduardo Alas and Heriberto Cuchillas
Tarapoto, Peru (June) Drs. Louis Arrevallo, Francis Nathan (Australia)
Kabul, Afghanistan (Ongoing) Dr. Amirzada Shir, Director University Eye Hospital
Sight Surgery International initiated 2011’s on-going surgical clinic in Aleppo, Syria with the vital assistance of Bausch and Lomb Surgical, Deseret Foundation, and Kind World Foundation. Led by Aleppo Eye Hospital Director, Dr. Harout Balian, we hope to do 75 surgeries between May and November.
Despite political tensions in the area, SSI volunteers experienced nothing but warmth and a gracious welcome
in both Aleppo and Damascus. Here's a quick overview of our work in 2011:
Salvadorian Super Heroes
Drs. Roberto Jule, Eduardo Alas and Heriberto Cuchillas performed a week long “Cataractathon” in El Salvador’s capital of San Salvador and the remote town of Jiquilisco. Over 50 major sight restoring surgeries were performed.
SSI’s Director of Programs, Baillie Russell Brown, ORT has volunteered with Drs. Alas and Cuchillas and their eye surgical nurse Margarita since 1991 and with Dr. Jule for over 10 years. All three Salvadorean surgeons have also volunteered their surgical skills in the Middle East with Brown. According to Brown “Our motto is: Bringing Sight to Life One Patient at a time; the Salvadorian certainly personify this!”
The Salvadorian Cataractathon was generously sponsored by Abott Medical Optics (AMO), Bausch and Lomb: Bausch Caring, Deseret Foundation and Kind World Foundation.
Chiapas, Mexico
Assisting other NGO’s is one of SSI’s most important tasks. In June , we partnered with Kern County SEE in providing supplies for 66 surgeries in this remote area of Mexico. Bausch and Lomb donated the vital visco elastic for this Mission that completed 66 surgeries.
Bagram Airbase Afghanistan
Wanting to leave permanent benefit for the people of Afghanistan, a group of NATO and Coalition ophthalmologists serving in Afghanistan asked SSI to organize a humanitarian free cataract surgery program on Bagram Airbase. Initially working under the direction of (Airforce Captain) Dr. Amanda Richards, we developed an on-going program of sight restoration to provide cataract surgery to indigent patients who come to the Base for eye care.
SSI provided the A Scan (machine to measure the proper power of the intraocular lense needed), IOL’s, visoco elastic, and sutures that made cataract surgery possible. During the first quarter nearly 40 sight restoring surgeries were donated by Dr. Mohammed Youssry.
Future plans include working with Dr. Shir Amizada, Director of the Kabul Eye Hospital and Residency Program to assist Kabul Eye Hospital in providing their own sight restoring surgery to indigent patients. SSI’s liaison is Dr. Abdullah Ezzat, formal Medical liaison between NATO forces at Bagram and the Kabul Eye Hospital.
Director of Programs, Baillie Russell Brown, ORT, hopes to make a site visit in the future. According to Brown, since Drs. Richards and Youssry left, communication and coordination is difficult and time consuming which she hopes could be smoothed out with a face to face meeting with all permanent parties involved. NATO and Coalition ophthalmologist rotate out on a 6 month basis so it is vital to work with Afghani permanent personnel.
SSI gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Abbott Medical Optics, Bausch and Lomb, Deseret Foundation, Dr. Kathy Lenz and the Kind World Foundation.
Santa Barbara Sight
SSI believes that Charity Begins at Home and with the generous support from the Kind World Foundation purchased capital equipment to facilitate an on-going vision screening in Santa Barbara County. In addition to responding to requests from various social service agencies to provide patients for services ranging from refractions to surgery, SSI held a vision screening clinic at the Chumash Indian Health Clinic on the Chumash Reservation on July 16th. Volunteers Sarah Kennally, Baillie Brown and optometrist Dennis Bales screened numerous patients and those needing refractions will be treated at no charge by Dr. Bales. Glasses will be provided by Dr. Bales and the Santa Ynez Lions Club. Medical Ophthalmologist, Pamela Thiene, MD, will donate her services for Medical Ophthalmology at no charge through the Sansum Medical Clinic and eye glasses for Santa Barbara residents will be given at no charge by the Santa Barbara Eye Glass Factory.
San Salvador, El Salvador (April) 60 surgeries: Drs. Robeto Julio, Eduardo Alas and Heriberto Cuchillas
Tarapoto, Peru (June) Drs. Louis Arrevallo, Francis Nathan (Australia)
Kabul, Afghanistan (Ongoing) Dr. Amirzada Shir, Director University Eye Hospital
Sight Surgery International initiated 2011’s on-going surgical clinic in Aleppo, Syria with the vital assistance of Bausch and Lomb Surgical, Deseret Foundation, and Kind World Foundation. Led by Aleppo Eye Hospital Director, Dr. Harout Balian, we hope to do 75 surgeries between May and November.
Despite political tensions in the area, SSI volunteers experienced nothing but warmth and a gracious welcome
in both Aleppo and Damascus. Here's a quick overview of our work in 2011:
Salvadorian Super Heroes
Drs. Roberto Jule, Eduardo Alas and Heriberto Cuchillas performed a week long “Cataractathon” in El Salvador’s capital of San Salvador and the remote town of Jiquilisco. Over 50 major sight restoring surgeries were performed.
SSI’s Director of Programs, Baillie Russell Brown, ORT has volunteered with Drs. Alas and Cuchillas and their eye surgical nurse Margarita since 1991 and with Dr. Jule for over 10 years. All three Salvadorean surgeons have also volunteered their surgical skills in the Middle East with Brown. According to Brown “Our motto is: Bringing Sight to Life One Patient at a time; the Salvadorian certainly personify this!”
The Salvadorian Cataractathon was generously sponsored by Abott Medical Optics (AMO), Bausch and Lomb: Bausch Caring, Deseret Foundation and Kind World Foundation.
Chiapas, Mexico
Assisting other NGO’s is one of SSI’s most important tasks. In June , we partnered with Kern County SEE in providing supplies for 66 surgeries in this remote area of Mexico. Bausch and Lomb donated the vital visco elastic for this Mission that completed 66 surgeries.
Bagram Airbase Afghanistan
Wanting to leave permanent benefit for the people of Afghanistan, a group of NATO and Coalition ophthalmologists serving in Afghanistan asked SSI to organize a humanitarian free cataract surgery program on Bagram Airbase. Initially working under the direction of (Airforce Captain) Dr. Amanda Richards, we developed an on-going program of sight restoration to provide cataract surgery to indigent patients who come to the Base for eye care.
SSI provided the A Scan (machine to measure the proper power of the intraocular lense needed), IOL’s, visoco elastic, and sutures that made cataract surgery possible. During the first quarter nearly 40 sight restoring surgeries were donated by Dr. Mohammed Youssry.
Future plans include working with Dr. Shir Amizada, Director of the Kabul Eye Hospital and Residency Program to assist Kabul Eye Hospital in providing their own sight restoring surgery to indigent patients. SSI’s liaison is Dr. Abdullah Ezzat, formal Medical liaison between NATO forces at Bagram and the Kabul Eye Hospital.
Director of Programs, Baillie Russell Brown, ORT, hopes to make a site visit in the future. According to Brown, since Drs. Richards and Youssry left, communication and coordination is difficult and time consuming which she hopes could be smoothed out with a face to face meeting with all permanent parties involved. NATO and Coalition ophthalmologist rotate out on a 6 month basis so it is vital to work with Afghani permanent personnel.
SSI gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Abbott Medical Optics, Bausch and Lomb, Deseret Foundation, Dr. Kathy Lenz and the Kind World Foundation.
Santa Barbara Sight
SSI believes that Charity Begins at Home and with the generous support from the Kind World Foundation purchased capital equipment to facilitate an on-going vision screening in Santa Barbara County. In addition to responding to requests from various social service agencies to provide patients for services ranging from refractions to surgery, SSI held a vision screening clinic at the Chumash Indian Health Clinic on the Chumash Reservation on July 16th. Volunteers Sarah Kennally, Baillie Brown and optometrist Dennis Bales screened numerous patients and those needing refractions will be treated at no charge by Dr. Bales. Glasses will be provided by Dr. Bales and the Santa Ynez Lions Club. Medical Ophthalmologist, Pamela Thiene, MD, will donate her services for Medical Ophthalmology at no charge through the Sansum Medical Clinic and eye glasses for Santa Barbara residents will be given at no charge by the Santa Barbara Eye Glass Factory.
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