Lions hold glaucoma clinic in Battlefield Park
Lions hold glaucoma clinic in Battlefield Park
Not all of this morning’s action was inside the courthouse. As Patrick Jones discovered, there was plenty going on across the street.
The Battlefield Park was temporarily transformed into a makeshift clinic where hundreds of city residents got their blood pressure taken and were tested for glaucoma – all for free. The half day event was spearheaded by the Belize City Lions Club as part of activities leading up to the celebration of Glaucoma awareness month in February.
Estelito Loria, President, Belize City Lions Club
“Lions cater for sight and one of their big activity worldwide is Sight First. Now as part of Sight First activity, Lions also gets involved in glaucoma testing, diabetes testing, whatever is related to sight problems and Lions, Belize City Lions is going to celebrate 25 years of helping people, especially those in need in Belize City and I think its a great achievement for a voluntary organization to be helping people in need for twenty five years.”
Patrick Jones Reporting
“High blood pressure and glaucoma are among the top ten health problems in Belize. While a cure for these two ailments is not yet available the Belize City Lions Club in partnership with concerned professionals is taking the preventative approach while at the same time assisting those already affected by the disease.”
Estelito Loria
“These are all activities for the public for the benefit of the public and as you know lions is here to help those in need and today, as what has been done on a monthly basis, we have blood pressure check and on the average we cater for 80 patient and today is a special day we have lion Dr. Amin Hegar who is a member of Belize city lions club, an ophthalmologist and he is doing the glaucoma screening for us today.”
Dr. Amin Hegar, Ophthalmologist
“Normally everyone above 30 – 35 years of age should have a glaucoma eye test. but its more common among the group 40 yrs and over and more important for Belizeans that is glaucoma is more common among the black people. So the people of Belize which are a good population of our population should have a glaucoma test at least every year and also, its hereditary. So the black people in Belize are more prone to have glaucoma.”
Doctor Hegar says part of the problem is that most people do not know they have the disease.
Dr. Amin Hegar
“Glaucoma is preventable. Its not curable, its treatable similar to diabetes. Once you have it just keep on with the medication to control it. But the best cure for glaucoma not to go blind is prevention is better than cure. If caught on time, if detected on time, the patient will preserve his or her vision.”
Patrick Jones, for News Five.
Next month a surgeon and three ophthamologists will arrive from Kansas in the U.S.A. They will be providing free eye clinics countrywide. For more information call your local Lion’s Club.
