Over 100 residents of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) have benefitted from free eye tests and spectacles as the Health Ministry continues to work with the Ophthalmology Department in the region along with the Regional Health Services and George Subraj Foundation and to host medical outreaches.
The testing was held at Region Two Police Headquarters, Anna Regina, where both children and adults benefited from free eye testing for refractive errors and eye diseases.
Technicians assisting persons to select the correct pair of spectacles
The George Subraj Foundation, based in New York, continues to provide healthcare services to Guyanese in need and would visit annually to conduct the outreaches with the help of local authorities.
Speaking with the foundation member and coordinator of the effort, Richard B Mahase said that the founder, George Subraj (now deceased) always believed in helping the people of Guyana.
Some of the Region 2 residents at the outreach
He added that the foundation started the eye clinics where the members would travel to various parts of Guyana, along with a team from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. “Our foundation purchases all of the medication, eyeglasses. Some cannot get to Georgetown because of different factors, so we take the specialists to them to help them save costs,” Mahase pointed out, adding that the members do not hold fundraisers, but use personal funds to get their work done.
Meanwhile, the foundation’s team members are Gloria, Tony and Jasmine Subraj, along with Jay Jainarine. They have been coordinating various health initiatives in Guyana since the early 1990s, doing so with personal funds to give back to the country.
The team provided eye tests, blood sugar, pressure and glucose testing, and distributed thousands of glasses for adults and children, including anti-glare and blue-light glasses.
