FREE OPHTHALMOLOGICAL CARE EQUIPMENT FOR CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF TOTORAS WHO DO NOT COUNT ON PRIVATE MEDICAL INSURANCE
Totoras is a 15,000 inhabitants city located in the southern part of Santa Fe Province, in the heart of the Argentine Republic.
Totoras is equipped with essential services. Regarding health services, it counts on two private hospitals that offer their services to people with private medical insurance. Those who do not have any coverage or health insurance are treated in a low complexity public hospital. It takes care of around 4,000 people per month. It also receives citizens from neighboring small towns.
The public hospital mentioned before counts on a small number of medical specialties, including OPHTHALMOLOGY. This is where our interest in this project was born. The ophthalmologist treats approximately two hundred people monthly, including newborn children and elderly adults.
To take care of patients, the ophthalmologist needs to take his own equipment to the hospital, running the risk of suffering some breakage or theft. Without him and his valuable equipment, it would no longer be possible to provide ophthalmological care to patients. This is why we need to acquire it for internal and permanent use, no matter the professional working in the institution.
Apart from this new and ambitious initiative, Rotary Club Totoras has been carrying out the project called "VER BIEN PARA APRENDER MEJOR" ("SEE WELL TO LEARN BETTER" in English) for the last 6 years. During this program thousands of children were tested and the ones with visual problems received free treatment. They were provided with frames and crystals for free, as part of an immediate solution.
In addition, the ophthalmologist identified children with severe vision difficulties that required to be re-evaluated and asked to go to the public or private health service, depending on whether they had health insurance coverage or not. As a result, it was verified that the vast majority of families had to resort to the public system, which does not have the necessary equipment to treat these problems, as previously mentioned.
Despite the success of the project "See well to learn better", we understood that there is a clear need to optimize ophthalmological care provided by the public hospital, which does not count on its own equipment or the resources to acquire them.
Rotary Club Totoras is committed to getting the appointed equipment so that the work of the specialist in charge can be carried out over time and the quality and efficiency improved.
The equipment needed is the one below:
✔ Slit lamp with motorized table (3- step and 5- step magnification)
✔ Applanation Tonometer
✔ Illuminated vision chart
✔ Trial lens set - metallic (156 pieces)
✔ Trial frame ("Oculos" type, if possible)
✔ 90mm magnifier
✔ Direct ophthalmoscope
✔ Lensmeter
✔ Auto Refracto-Keratometer
✔ Indirect Ophthalmoscope
✔ 20mm magnifier
✔ Campimeter
We need other monetary contributions to be able to carry out the project.
Rotary Club Totoras appreciates everyone's collaboration and interest in this important message. We are certain that many clubs will support us and we will make it happen.
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