Over 1000 people receive free eye care services with support from Armenian Eye Care project and Orange Foundation

YEREVAN, June 23. / ARKA /. The joint project of the Armenian Eye Care Project (AECP) and Orange Foundation, aiming at provision of free eye screenings and eye care treatment for the socially vulnerable inhabitants, have been finalized in Vayots Dzor region.

In the frame of the project, around 1000 adults have been screened, out of which 200 received treatments in the Mobile eye hospital.

According to the results, 120 free of charge surgeries have been conducted and 50 laser treatments implemented. Starting from September, special classes on eye care will as well be organized in the schools of Vayots Dzor region. 

“Orange Foundation puts a lot of importance to this program, implemented in partnership with the Armenian Eye Care project. Targeting exclusively inhabitants of the regions of Armenia, the program brings real and tangible changes in the lives of people. Today we are finalizing the results in Vayots Dzor region and are happy to note that around 1000 people have received free eye care services. From Vayots Dzor region the Mobile eye hospital will head to Gegharkunik, where eye screening have already started”, said Lilit Martirosyan, General Secretary of the Orange Foundation.

“This is our 6th visit to Vayots Dzor region. We are glad that this is the second time the visit is performed together with Orange Foundation. Although the number of inhabitants in Vayots Dzor is not very big, still availability of eye care services remains a problem for this region. Therefore, the implemented works were in particular necessary for the socially vulnerable population of the region with eye sight problems” said Nune Yeghiazaryan, Country Director of the Armenian Eye Care Project.  

Solely local ophthalmologists have been engaged in this responsible task, aimed at eye screening of the population. To check eyesight for free, the inhabitants of urban communities have consulted their territorial ophthalmologist. As to the inhabitants of villages, eye screening services have been provided to them in their settlements by territorial ophthalmologists. We’ll apply the same approach in Vayots Dzor region where the screenings will be conducted next”, said Nune Yeghiazaryan, Country Director of the Armenian Eye Care Project.   

In 2014, within the scope of this joint initiative of the AECP and Orange Foundation, free eye care services will be provided in 5 regions envisaging in total to screen 11,300 adults and 4,600 children, and provide around 2,000 glasses. The Mobile eye hospital is capable to host over 1,000 surgeries and laser treatments. Along with eye screening services special classes on eye care will be organized in regional schools.

Since 2011, thanks to the partnership of the Armenian Eye Care Project and Orange Foundation, over 50,000 people (40,688 adults and 9,997 children) have been screened, 6,498  inhabitants have undergone double eye screening in the mobile eye hospital, 3,768 surgeries and laser treatments have been conducted and 18,140 glasses provided, 3,659 children of 53 regional schools have participated in special classes on eye care. The project has been implemented in 9 regions of Armenia, out of which Shirak, Aragatsotn and Ararat regions have been visited twice within the scope of the project. -0-