An eye-opening experience

Imagine your busiest day, your most difficult patients, a new test room where the only equipment in working condition, is your retinoscope and ophthalmoscope. Now multiply the patient numbers by a factor of ten, and instead of frustration you feel at the end of the day, replace it with exhaustion not just physically but emotionally but also a lot of satisfaction. The sort you feel when a patient who had come in seeing 6/24 and leaves seeing 6/10.

I spent three weeks in a charitable eye hospital in Calcutta. Looking back now I can honestly say nothing could have prepared me for the experience either emotionally or physically.

During the week I would work from 8am-8pm, alongside the local ophthalmologists. On some days I would do refractions all day. Some days I would be armed with an ophthalmoscope and do fundus checks only. Other times I would be assigned the duty of talking to patients pre cataract extractions filling in refraction results and doing administration tasks.

Each day was as interesting as the previous and not only clinically, as I had the opportunity to see many conditions I had only ever read about in Kanski. But I was also tested emotionally. Each day there would hundreds of patients arriving, some from miles and miles away. Some would have been travelling days on end and would come with so much hope of being able to leave with better vision. Unfortunately, some of these patients would be beyond help. My heart would break especially when I would see young children brought in and their parents would look at you expectantly for a miracle that would save their eyesight.

Weekends were even more strenuous. I would be up at 6am and by 7.30am sitting at the back of a van with three other colleagues. All of us with our gear, ready for the day. We would travel for a few hours into the surrounding village. At our destination, usually the local school hall, we would be greeted by the village head and a coordinator for the day, usually a health care professional. Our patients would be lined up outside the building some having slept there the night before and others who had arrived at the crack of dawn. Patients would still be arriving after the clinic had started and there would typically be some that would turn up after we had packed up.

The logistics and running of these days was quite simple. There would be a series of different stations.

Recording of personal information
History and Symptoms consisting of 2-3 standard questions
Recording VAs 
Ophthalmoscopy
Retinoscopy
Relevant clinical advice to Px

The next steps would involve the patient coming to the hospital in the city, whereby spectacles would be dispensed if necessary or relevant clinical procedures done. The institution that I worked with is a charitable eye foundation; hence this would all be at a minimal cost or free of charge. Each case was assessed individually.

Clinic days were the most challenging. Work would be for longer hours and the patients seen would be more testing. I enjoyed each day and was extremely touched by the warmth and appreciation shown to us by the locals. There were times when they brought tears to my eyes by the respect given to me for a simple task that I would perform.

My three week experience left me feeling a renewed person. I know it sounds clichéd but I cannot describe or enough about how it was a trip that I shall never forget.

I decided to go on this adventure after my pre reg and I did not arrange this through any organisation. It was something that I chose to do on my own as there were no organisations that would take someone that was not qualified on a project.

I am now involved with Vision Aid Overseas (VAO).  For the past three years I have been actively raising money for the charity in different ways. VAO is a charity that sends teams of volunteer optometrists and dispensing opticians abroad to set up clinics and carry out eye-tests and provide spectacles. They also provide training to optical workers in developing countries for basic eye-testing techniques, with a view to helping these countries achieve self-sufficiency.

Currently I hope to be going away on a project with VAO at the end of summer. Presently I am training for the British 10K Run which is taking place on July 1st. I am running to raise money for VAO and would greatly appreciate any donations no matter what the amount. Please do take a minute to look at my webpage and help me reach my target. www.justgiving.com/priya10krun.

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