Training

We have been very blessed with overwhelming support in our endeavor to go to India. There is no way that we could ever make this happen without the help of so many people! Yesterday we were trained by Dr. Robert Wing MD from the Bountiful Hills Eye Center. This was a very big help and we really appreciate the time, willingness and expertise that he gave us. The training involved hands on interaction with patients and skill training for screening cataracts using a penlight and ophthalmoscope, and visual screening. We followed technicians around the clinic and observed how visual acuity was assessed. Dr. Wing, with the help of many patients, gave us the opportunity to look inside eyes to see the difference from a clear lens vs. a clouded lens from a cataract. He emphasized that there is a big difference between an American cataract and the kind of cataracts that we will see while in India. Because so many people have limited access to health care due to poverty, transportation, and overwhelmed eye care providers (the doctor to patient ratio is around 1:100,000), the patients suffering often goes completely blind because the lens is totally opaque. Due to limited funds and resources, our job will be to screen those who are in the most need of cataract removal (i.e. those who cannot see hand movement or even light). Typically an ophthalmologist will dilate a patients eyes so that the cataract can be better viewed and diagnosed (for removal). While screening in India, we will not have the convenience of dilation, so it was important to become familiar with what to look for.

(a clear lens characterized by a very sharp black pupil)

(an opaque lens from a cataract)

We also were trained on how to perform visual field screening to check for glaucoma. Glaucoma is a disease of the eye that involves an increase in pressure inside the eye. The pressure will eventually cause damage to the retina (the back of the eye that sends the image to the brain) leading to irreversible blindness. Usually the only way to screen for this without a pressure reader (like a tonometer) is to check for early warning signs like the beginnings of tunnel vision.

We are so grateful to Dr. Wing for taking time to help us become better prepared for our work in India!