COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Community outreach is dedicated to bringing eye care to underprivileged people who cannot afford quality care. Our staff visit communities throughout Cameroon to identify eye pathologies and refer them to Magrabi ICO Cameroon Eye Institute.
Magrabi ICO Cameroon Eye Institute organizes free eye check-up camps to address the special needs and lack of eye care of the poor and needy. A large number of contributors joined us for this project with the aim of giving special care to the eyes which are the lamp of our body. We organize eye camps with the cooperation of the local administration and health institutions in each district.
We aim for a minimum of 200 patients per camp. Patients diagnosed with cataracts receive free treatment, surgery, and accommodation if necessary. Patients prescribed glasses receive them at a minimal cost at the campsite. Our vision is to be able to offer mobile eye camps with the support of our partners.
THE OBJECTIVE OF THE EYE CAMPS
The main objective of the eye camps is to provide a high volume of high-quality, low-cost eye care to the rural population of the target area, through a mobile camp approach that is accessible, affordable, and appropriate. As cataracts are the leading cause of blindness, our camps focus on identifying and treating cataract cases. The service also includes correction of refractive errors, treatment of diseases such as ulcers, and referral of patients to the MICEI hospital who require institutional examination and management (patients with glaucoma, retinopathy, etc.).
Most often this involves, Identifying cataract patients and making them available for surgical treatment to restore sight.
Screening for refractive error: Screening for other major causes of visual impairment and providing treatment for minor conditions, or referring to the base hospital for further management.
HOW A CAMP IS ORGANIZED
The hospital maintains a comprehensive database providing information on target areas. The Advanced Strategy (Camp) Department maintains close cooperation with institutions such as Standard Chartered Bank and local authorities in various towns and villages. Thanks to this network, a strategic location is identified and its demographics analyzed. Camps are organized within a radius of 30 to 200 kilometers (10-125 miles). As most of our camps are run with the support of sponsors, propaganda, and arrangements for the day of the camp are made by our sponsors.
On the day of the camp, a team of doctors, refractors, and ophthalmic assistants visit the campsite. Cataract patients are selected and transported to the hospital. During their stay, food, accommodation, surgical fees, medication, and transport are provided free of charge. For affluent patients from rural areas who pass through the camps and require more sophisticated procedures such as Phaco, special packages are offered at advantageous conditions.
SCHOOL SCREENING CAMPS
Uncorrected refractive errors are a major cause of visual impairment. It is estimated that children in Africa have a high level of refractive error. Screening children in schools, identifying visually impaired children, and providing treatment are not the only methods of intervention to reduce blindness in Africa.
Currently, around 10,000 pupils are screened each year, and in the future MICEI aims to increase this figure to 50,000 through a network approach. Schools in our target area are routinely screened, and pupils identified as having refractive errors receive glasses at a subsidized cost.
OCULAR CAMPS FOR THE ELDERLY
Impaired vision can make the elderly dependent and vulnerable. In Cameroon, the vast majority of elderly people lose their sight due to cataracts. Most of these people are unaware of their condition or do not have the means to undergo surgery. They face numerous obstacles in accessing healthcare and related facilities, and most are unable to afford glasses for cataract operations. MICEI aims to support the elderly living in localities across Cameroon by organizing eye camps several times a week. Qualified and trained staff tested participants’ eyesight, provided free reading glasses where necessary, supplied free prescription glasses, advised on appropriate eye care, and referred those in need of cataract surgery to an eye hospital at Oback
