Armenian Eye Care Project, Orange Foundation continue free eye care services in Syunik
Results of the joint initiative of Orange Foundation and Armenian Eye Care Project (AECP) have been summarized in Syunik province. As part of this initiative, free eye screenings have been performed for inhabitants of provinces, as well as medical treatments and surgeries implemented. Free surgeries are delivered to inhabitants based on social criteria.
1,500 adults have benefited from free of charge eye-care services and 337 free of charge surgeries have been performed in Mobile eye hospital (MEH). During the month of October, special classes on eye care will as well be organized in 9 schools.
“By its large scale, this project, which we have been implementing together with our partners, is probably one of the most impressive of Orange Foundation as it improves concretely lives of thousands of people. We are very proud that since 2011, when we started our cooperation with AECP, more than 66,000 people have already received free of charge eye-care services. We are going to continue this cooperation, making sure that eye-care services are available for inhabitants of all regions,” said Francis Gelibter, Chairman of the Board of Orange Armenia Foundation.
“This is our 6th visit to Syunik province. We are glad that this is the second time the visit is made together with Orange Foundation. Although the number of inhabitants in Syunik province is not very high, still it has a strategic importance, considering the distance from the capital city where eye-care service is more available, while in Syunik the lack of such is still obvious. Therefore, the implemented works were in particular necessary for the socially vulnerable population of the region,” said AECP Armenian office director Nune Yeghiazaryan.
As part of this large-scale joint initiative between Armenian Eye Care project and Orange Foundation, this year overall in 5 regions of Armenia medical examinations of 11,300 adults and 4 600 children and provision of around 2,000 eye glasses are foreseen. Works, planned for 2014, have already been completed in Ararat, Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik and Syunik provinces. Mobile hospital will perform in total more than 1,000 surgeries and laser treatments. At the same time, the comprehensive special classes on eye care are being organized in regional schools.
The next phase of the project will cover Armavir province.
Since 2011 due to cooperation of AECP and Orange Foundation more than 66,000 people (54,000 adults and 12,000 children) have received eye screenings, 8,487 people passed in-depth medical examinations in MEH, 5,044 operations and laser treatments have been performed and 23,631 eye glasses distributed. The project has been implemented in 9 regions of Armenia, moreover, Shirak, Aragatsotn, Ararat, Vayots Dzor and Syunik provinces have been visited twice.