Subject: ABC: Tas doctors give sight to E
Timorese
Also - Doctor's 7-year E Timor eye odyssey draws to a close ABC The 7:30 Report Tas doctors give sight to E Timorese Australian Broadcasting Corporation Broadcast: 06/11/2007 Reporter: Jocelyn Nettlefold East Timor's first ophthalmologist is about to finish his training, under the watchful eye of Hobart specialist Nitin Verma. Australian medical volunteers have been helping restore and improve eyesight to the local population in East Timor. They've managed to curb chronically high levels of preventable blindness and improved the eyesight of more than 25,0000 East Timorese. Now locals are set to take over the highly-specialised task. Transcript KERRY O'BRIEN: East Timor became the world's newest independent state five years ago and now the small nation is about to celebrate another key milestone on the path to self reliance. Australian medical volunteers have been helping restore and improve eyesight among the local population. They've managed to curb chronically high levels of preventable blindness and improve the eyesight of more than 25,000 Timorese. Locals are now set to take over the highly specialised task. East Timor's first ophthalmologist is about to finish his training under the watchful eye of the program's founder, Hobart specialist Nitin Verma and Jocelyn Nettlefold reports. JOCELYN NETTLEFOLD: Woodworking may well be his relaxing hobby, yet Hobart eye specialist Nitin Verma admits he approaches it with the same clinical precision as his day job. DR NITIN VERMA, OPTHAMALOGIST: It's all about accuracy and patience. (to patient) Look straight ahead. JOCELYN NETTLEFOLD: Time at his beloved lathe has been a rare indulgence for Dr Verma in the past seven years as he's juggled his Tasmanian patients with the demands of nearly a million in East Timor. Dr Verma is the leader of a volunteer movement responsible for eye care in the fledgling nation. NITIN VERMA: We've seen over 25,000 patients and we have operated on about 2,600 of them and these are all sort of operations for cataract, for tumour, glaucoma, injuries and things like that. JOCELYN NETTLEFOLD: Nitin Verma spent the early part of his career successfully rolling out eye care for Indigenous communities in Australia's Top End. So after the mayhem of violence that followed the vote for East Timor's independent in 1999, the UN invited him to Dili to give expert advice. It was a matter, he says, of starting from scratch. NITIN VERMA: The eye clinic itself existed. At that time but all the equipment within the eye clinic, whether it were chairs or equipment as you see in this room, were all destroyed. (to patient) You must not rub the eye, they must keep the eye clean. JOCELYN NETTLEFOLD: On his return to Australia, Dr Verma appealed to his colleagues nationwide to take unpaid leave to help. NITIN VERMA: These programs you can't do alone and a large number of ophthalmologists, optometrist, nurses got together and that's how the program started. JOCELYN NETTLEFOLD: Volunteers initially dealt with trauma victims and urgent optometry. Then began tackling cataracts and addressing the widespread issue of preventable blindness due to vitamin A deficiency. NITIN VERMA: Children had white eyes with white corneas, children who were blind and we worked out with UNICEF that they should incorporate vitamin A supplementation in their program for under fives. JOCELYN NETTLEFOLD: Each year surgical and optometry teams make several visits to Dili and outlying districts. Equipment and transport is usually donated by companies and charities. JOCELYN NETTLEFOLD: One of the program s supporters is Jose Ramos-Horta now President of East Timor. JOSE RAMOS-HORTA, PRESIDENT OF EAST TIME: It is amazing. It's fantastic. I'm very touched by the dedication, the generosity of the doctors, the nurses and all those who have made this program possible. JOCELYN NETTLEFOLD: But this year marks the official end of Australia's contribution. NITIN VERMA: The need in East Timor is not material, the need in East Timor is training and the need in East Timor is the empowerment of the people so they can earn a living, that they continue maintaining their dignity and that they become truly independent. JOCELYN NETTLEFOLD: Timorese doctor, Marcelino Correia is the key to handover. He will take charge of the Dili eye clinic in the new year and is looking forward to the satisfaction of restoring his countrymen 's sight and livelihoods. DR MARCELINO CORREIA, NATIONAL HOSPITAL, DILI: We do the operation and then one day after that they can see and this is amazing for them. JOCELYN NETTLEFOLD: Dr Correia who has been trained in ophthalmology by Australian specialists is completing his studies in Hobart. He says more equipment and training is still needed in health services at home, particularly in the districts. Do you feel proud to be East Timor's first ophthalmologist? DR MARCELINO CORREIA: I think the Timorese people would be proud for me. JOCELYN NETTLEFOLD: Dr Verma and his colleagues plan a staged withdrawal from the East Timor eye program over the next few years. NITIN VERMA: The very fact that I look forward to going there each time and I haven't given up as yet and the only thing you sort of bring back are memories of smiles and I suppose, achievements in terms of being able to restore sight under difficult circumstances. KERRY O'BRIEN: Jocelyn Nettlefold with that report. ABC Premium News (Australia) November 7, 2007 Doctor's 7-year E Timor eye odyssey draws to a close East Timor became the world's newest independent state five years ago and now the small nation is about to celebrate another key milestone on the path to self-reliance. Australian medical volunteers have been helping restore and improve eyesight among the local population. They've managed to curb chronically high levels of preventable blindness and improve the eyesight of more than 25,000 Timorese. Locals are now set to take over the highly specialised task. East Timor's first ophthalmologist is about to finish his training under the watchful eye of the program's founder, Hobart specialist Nitin Verma. Over the past seven years Dr Verma has juggled his Tasmanian patients with the demands of nearly a million in East Timor. "We've seen over 25,000 patients and we have operated on about 2,600 of them and these are all sort of operations for cataract, for tumour, glaucoma, injuries and things like that," he told The 7.30 Report. Dr Verma spent the early part of his career successfully rolling out eye care for Indigenous communities in Australia's Top End. So after the mayhem of violence that followed the vote for East Timor's independent in 1999, the UN invited him to Dili to give expert advice. It was a matter, he says, of starting from scratch. "The eye clinic itself existed at that time but all the equipment within the eye clinic, whether it were chairs or equipment, were all destroyed," he said. On his return to Australia, Dr Verma appealed to his colleagues nationwide to take unpaid leave to help. "These programs you can't do alone and a large number of ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses got together and that's how the program started," he said. Volunteers initially dealt with trauma victims and urgent optometry, then began tackling cataracts and addressing the widespread issue of preventable blindness due to vitamin A deficiency. "Children had white eyes with white corneas, children who were blind and we worked out with UNICEF that they should incorporate vitamin A supplementation in their program for under fives," Dr Verma said. Each year surgical and optometry teams make several visits to Dili and outlying districts. Equipment and transport is usually donated by companies and charities. One of the program's supporters, East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta, describes the program as amazing and fantastic. "I'm very touched by the dedication, the generosity of the doctors, the nurses and all those who have made this program possible," he said. But this year marks the official end of Australia's contribution. "The need in East Timor is not material, the need in East Timor is training and the need in East Timor is the empowerment of the people so they can earn a living, that they continue maintaining their dignity and that they become truly independent," Dr Verma said. Timorese doctor Marcelino Correia is the key to handover. He will take charge of the Dili eye clinic in the new year and is looking forward to the satisfaction of restoring his countrymen's sight and livelihoods. "We do the operation and then one day after that they can see, and this is amazing for them," he said. Dr Correia, who has been trained in ophthalmology by Australian specialists, is completing his studies in Hobart. He says more equipment and training is still needed in health services at home, particularly in the districts. Dr Verma and his colleagues plan a staged withdrawal from the East Timor eye program over the next few years. "The very fact that I look forward to going there each time and I haven't given up as yet and the only thing you sort of bring back are memories of smiles and, I suppose, achievements in terms of being able to restore sight under difficult circumstances," he said.
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