Over 40 Cane Grove residents benefit from spectacles, vouchers

The Health Ministry kicked off its eye-testing and spectacles programme in Cane Grove along the East Coast of Demerara on Saturday which saw over 70 persons, including children, receiving free eye tests.
The initiative was done in keeping with the Government’s commitment to early detect and treat eye conditions such as myopia, astigmatism, and hyperopia among children while ensuring that elderly persons across the country are provided with the necessary assistance.
The exercise was conducted by specialists attached to Miracle Vision Care and other partnering entities.
Of the total number of persons seen, some 40 individuals were provided with spectacles on the spot while others received a $15,000 voucher to source instruments independently.

These eyecare vouchers are valid at Da Silva’s Optical, Miracle Vision Care, Regina’s Optical, Courts Optical, Optique Vision Care, Dr Balwant Singh Hospital, Doobay-Gafoor Medical & Research Centre, Eye Max Optical, Bhagwan’s Optical, Optical Works, Mings Optical, and Eye Care Guyana, among other facilities.
Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, who was present at the exercise, said that the programme would only accelerate from this point.
He noted that while many healthcare facilities with eye-testing capabilities were based in Georgetown, several had affiliate branches in different regions and the Health Ministry would be travelling to those regions to provide screening services where they were not available.
“We see a lot of older persons coming out to get their eyes tested and most of them require spectacles, so I think it’s a helpful thing for the community. Next week, we will probably go to another community so we want to do this every weekend where we are going out to different communities. So, rather than people having to travel to where these companies are located, we are trying to get the services to come within the community.”

The Minister reminded everyone that the Government aimed to offer 115 different interventions at the primary healthcare level. He further emphasised the importance of engaging the Private Sector to ensure that more individuals can access these services.
“The general response has been fairly good, especially in and around Georgetown, but because this is a countrywide programme we want in every region to do similar things like this, so that is why we are working with the companies that are doing the eye testing and doing the glasses (spectacles),” Dr Anthony added.
One recipient, Bhagwandin Ramsarran expressed relief at this intervention as he can now get eye care.
“I feel this initiative by the Ministry of Health – in general, the Government – has been doing quite a good job and this eye assistance and vouchers would assist us greatly in this area, especially the elderly and the children. Financially, they will be saving money, because they don’t have to go to private organisations,” Ramsarran shared.
Another beneficiary, Chandroutie Ramnarine commended the Government’s proactive approach to health care. She expressed gratitude for the level of attention being paid to senior citizens’ well-being, stating “we use to do these outreaches long ago and it’s beneficial to everybody’ because it’s ease the transportation cost when parents have to go with their children to the doctor as well as the elderly, so it’s very good”.
Just last month, the Ministry signed several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with several private healthcare providers for this, and the Cervical Cancer Screening Programme.
These initiatives are fuelled by the sum of $840 million that was allocated through the 2024 National Budget for the eye tests and approximately $995 million, which was allocated to subsidise spectacles cost.