For the past two weeks, our group has begun the day by waking up at 5:30AM. We're usually on the road by 6:00AM. Before getting to the site for our outreaches, we stop along the road to pick up members of the staff that help organize the outreaches we work at. Overall, travel generally takes us an hour or so to get to our destination.
Once we get to the sites, we set up shop. At the outreaches we work at, we have three stations: a station for visual acuity screenings (testing how well vision is), a tent where the on-call optometrist performs examinations on patients, and a table where we dispense reading glasses and eye drops to patients. As volunteers, we get to work at each of these stations. At the visual acuity station, we perform all of the tests. The staff usually helps us with language barriers. At the optometry station, we shadow the optometrist. We get the chance to use the scopes they use to look in the back of the patients' eyes. The optometrist then opens up to answer questions that we might have. At the dispense station we learn about the drugs that the clinic offers. I've also learned a lot about inventory and finances.
At the end of the six-hour day, we close shop and take a car ride back home. On the way, we drop the staff off wherever they need to be dropped off. Then we have the rest of the day to rest and adventure until the following day when we work at a different location.
Overall, this experience has been so fulfilling. I've learned that the eye is absolutely vital with our quality of life. If it loses even the slight bit of functionality, life becomes ten times more difficult. I'm so glad that I'm able to help others overcome that challenge. This literally changes lives. I love that.
The Kumasi volunteers!
Our view for an hour and a half before we get to the outreach.
The van we travel in.
The set-up.
A routine examination performed by Dr. Richmond.
Visual acuity!
No comments:
Post a Comment