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Providing Care
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Patients arriving for care are first registered in the clinic. They are
given a patient card and are seen by ophthalmic nurses who take a medical
history, as well as measure the vision and tension. Paperwork is very
limited. Treatment, of course, is partly dictated by the limited, on-hand
supply of medicine and supplies.The clinic is overseen by a Nigerian
ophthalmologist, Dr. Helen Oko, who works with the FOCUS doctors.
In a two week stay, you can expect to see 150 mature cataracts. 40 advanced
glaucoma patients, 10 traumatic globe ruptures, a congenital glaucoma, one
or two retinoblastomas, and one or two retinal detachments.
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Patients who need surgery are admitted to the hospital. where they get a CBC
and urine test. Printed preoperative orders are signed by the surgeon the
night before surgery. Patients are moved to the OR tables, where there is a
two-to-three minute turnover time between cases. Preps, and occasionally
retrobulbars, are done by the staff to expedite surgery.
An assortment of IOL's is available with extra capsular technique and PC or
AC IOL's. Most supplies and pharmaceuticals, however, are in perennial short
supply. Volunteers are advised to bring their own ophthalmoscopes, surgical
gloves, and personal medication. We also encourage our volunteers to bring
medical supplies which they solicit as donations from drug companies and
medical supply corporations.
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