Vision in Guatemala: Inaugural Retina Program
Tax deductible
Become a Founding Donor of the Retina Program of the La Familia Eye Center (click for great video) at Hospital de la Familia, Nuevo Progreso, San Marcos, Guatemala. This modest campaign just reached the $100,000 mark November 15, 2020. With such generous support over a 3 week period, we are now pushing to the grand total of $175,000. These funds will allow the purchase of a Zeiss operating microscope, Haag-Streit examining microscope, ultrasound used for cataract and retinal surgery, Oertli retinal eye laser, vitrectomy machine as well as the other instruments used for retinal surgery. At long last, the deserving people in this part of Central America will have care for diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachments, macular degeneration and other blinding eye diseases.
Here's the story:
Hospital de la Familia began in 1976, and has always included a modest eye service as part of its core activity. From 1976 until 2015, all vision care was provided by international eye teams from the United States. Prior to 2016, the annual productivity of the Eye Center typically included 550 cataract and glaucoma surgeries and 1700 eye examinations.
A massive change occurred in 2015 when Hospital de la Familia Eye Center received a $275,000 grant from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Charities and purchased equipment needed for a modern eye center. The gift was astounding and, in 2016, Dr. Jose Argueta, MD, joined the Eye Center as its first full time ophthalmologist. In 2016, the productivity of the Eye Center skyrocketed, with 1800 vision saving cataract, glaucoma and cornea surgeries performed and 3500 patients examined. In 2019, nearly 3000 eye surgeries were performed, including cataract, glaucoma, strabismus and corneal transplants. Since 2016, four Guatemalan-trained ophthalmologists have joined the Eye Center, and two more are committed for 2021. Even through the COVID pandemic, the surgeons at La Familia Eye Center have continued to provide charitable vision-saving eye care as noted in the below graph.
During the last two years, Dr. Argueta completed a self-designed retinal fellowship program in Guatemala City and is one of the most skilled anterior segment surgeons in Guatemala, with expertise in small incision cataract surgery, phaco, plastics and corneal transplantation. Now, the Eye Center needs to provide the next level of eye care which is retinal surgical therapies. The anticipated need for such surgeries exceeds 500 cases per year in the region of 3 million served by Hospital de la Familia.
Our GoFundMe goal is to raise funds to purchase the necessary equipment for providing retinal surgery and medical retinal care. We have obtained NGO pricing from corporate sponsors offering a 30% reduction in equipment pricing. While the full retinal project will require $175,000, the $100,000 seed money allows for the purchase of an Oertli Faros Surgical platform, Resight 700 imaging lenses, laser probes for endo laser and retinal instrumentation. The additional $75,000 will provide a surgical teaching microscope, patient examination microscope, teaching ports and further instrumentation.
We hope you will find this model for sustainable vision care inspiring and worthy of your investment. We are blessed to have matching donors and a large contribution from Hospital de la Familia Foundation. Would you like to help?
Here's the story:
Hospital de la Familia began in 1976, and has always included a modest eye service as part of its core activity. From 1976 until 2015, all vision care was provided by international eye teams from the United States. Prior to 2016, the annual productivity of the Eye Center typically included 550 cataract and glaucoma surgeries and 1700 eye examinations.
A massive change occurred in 2015 when Hospital de la Familia Eye Center received a $275,000 grant from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Charities and purchased equipment needed for a modern eye center. The gift was astounding and, in 2016, Dr. Jose Argueta, MD, joined the Eye Center as its first full time ophthalmologist. In 2016, the productivity of the Eye Center skyrocketed, with 1800 vision saving cataract, glaucoma and cornea surgeries performed and 3500 patients examined. In 2019, nearly 3000 eye surgeries were performed, including cataract, glaucoma, strabismus and corneal transplants. Since 2016, four Guatemalan-trained ophthalmologists have joined the Eye Center, and two more are committed for 2021. Even through the COVID pandemic, the surgeons at La Familia Eye Center have continued to provide charitable vision-saving eye care as noted in the below graph.
During the last two years, Dr. Argueta completed a self-designed retinal fellowship program in Guatemala City and is one of the most skilled anterior segment surgeons in Guatemala, with expertise in small incision cataract surgery, phaco, plastics and corneal transplantation. Now, the Eye Center needs to provide the next level of eye care which is retinal surgical therapies. The anticipated need for such surgeries exceeds 500 cases per year in the region of 3 million served by Hospital de la Familia.
Our GoFundMe goal is to raise funds to purchase the necessary equipment for providing retinal surgery and medical retinal care. We have obtained NGO pricing from corporate sponsors offering a 30% reduction in equipment pricing. While the full retinal project will require $175,000, the $100,000 seed money allows for the purchase of an Oertli Faros Surgical platform, Resight 700 imaging lenses, laser probes for endo laser and retinal instrumentation. The additional $75,000 will provide a surgical teaching microscope, patient examination microscope, teaching ports and further instrumentation.
We hope you will find this model for sustainable vision care inspiring and worthy of your investment. We are blessed to have matching donors and a large contribution from Hospital de la Familia Foundation. Would you like to help?
Organizer
Andrew Sorenson
Organizer
Berkeley, CA
Hospital de la Familia Foundation
Beneficiary