SEE International – Restoring sight, transforming lives

“The visually impaired person and his/her family face serious social challenges. Directly and indirectly visual impairment interferes with many daily activities. In the case of adults, the possibilities for gainful employment are severely limited as is their participation in many activities. To this is often added a loss of social status and self esteem.”{{more}}

– Dr. Johnson (SEE INTERNATIONAL)

I have been a member of SEE International for over 10 years and would like to share a bit about this great organization.

Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International is an organization that provides worldwide medical, surgical, and educational services through volunteer ophthalmic surgeons with the primary objective of restoring sight and transforming lives much like the highly acclaimed Vision Now of SVG.

At the invitation of eye surgeons in developing countries, SEE International recruits, organizes, and deploys numerous small surgical teams worldwide. Since being founded in 1974, SEE’s eye surgeons have examined more than 3 million patients and performed over 370,000 sight-restoring operations.

SEE International is the link that connects volunteer ophthalmologists to host clinic sites that are in desperate need of help alleviating the overwhelming numbers of people living in darkness. SEE International organizes the clinics and provides most of the equipment and supplies that are needed. SEE’s volunteer eye surgeons donate their time and pay for all their own travel expenses. During each clinic (approximately five days long), sight is typically restored to many people.

To make this extraordinary work both far-reaching and sustainable, SEE relies on donors. They have created a network of in-kind donors, including Alcon Labs, Allergan, Johnson & Johnson, and Bausch & Lomb, who donate most of the supplies that are used for the clinics. The remainder of the cost-$108 per surgery-is covered by generous individuals and foundations around the world.

Our 600+ volunteer ophthalmologists’ desire to make a difference in the world by using their skills and personal financial resources to cure blindness in developing countries inspires us. We support their philanthropic leadership by maintaining working relationships with surgeons around the world, coordinating international clinics, gathering the best medical supplies available, and offering cutting-edge training for cataract surgery.

SEE International’s primary focus is on cataract surgery. This type of surgery is one of the most cost-effective of all health interventions. Cataract blindness is readily curable. A volunteer SEE International surgeon can restore the sight of a person who has been blind with cataracts for 5, 10, or even 20 years with a local anesthetic and a 30-minute surgery

Excerpted from SEE International. Next week more on SEE Internationals involvement in the care of patients in SVG and beyond.

Have a good weekend.

Dr Kenneth Onu is a resident Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Beachmont Eye Institute/Eyes R Us Send questions to: Beachmont@gmail.com
Tel: 784 456-1210