Residents of St. Thomas to Benefit From Eye Clinic

Hundreds of residents of St. Thomas are slated to benefit from the annual eye care clinic of the Jamaican Diaspora group, Canadian Friends of St. Thomas Healthcare Organization (CFSTHO), which will be held at the Princess Margaret Hospital from January 7 to 11.
The medical team, comprised of optometrist Dr. Jim Ng and optician Veronica Chan, will be ably assisted by members of CFSTHO to conduct hundreds of eye examinations and distribute eyeglasses. Those who are diagnosed with serious eye diseases such as glaucoma and cataracts will be referred to the Kingston Public Hospital or the FISH clinic in Papine, St. Andrew.
Chairman of CFSTHO, Dan Williamson, said that the group will also be donating two pieces of ophthalmic equipment recently purchased in Canada and which will replace outdated machines at the hospital. These are a slit lamp and phoroptor, which will greatly assist in detecting many diseases of the eye.
Since 1999, CFSTHO has been sponsoring an annual eye-care clinic at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Morant Bay. Over the years, hundreds of residents of St. Thomas have been diagnosed with different eye diseases while many others have been provided with eyeglasses.
The organization, which was formed in 1984, is comprised of former residents of the parish now living in Canada and seeks to provide assistance to Jamaica’s health sector.