March 28, 2018: Dr Somasheila Murthy, Head of Cornea Services at L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), India, is visiting the Liberia Eye Centre at John F Kennedy Memorial Medical Center in Monrovia, Liberia and is going to performing corneal transplant surgeries, for which the corneas are being provided by SightLife, Seattle, USA - an international organization involved in procuring and providing corneas worldwide.
Since the inauguration of the Liberia Eye Centre by the former President of Liberia, Her Excellency Dr Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in July 2017, which was facilitated by LVPEI, senior doctors from the institute including cornea, glaucoma, retina and oculoplasty specialists have been travelling to the centre on a periodic basis to treat complicated cases. Additionally, a team of Ophthalmologist and Optometrist from LVPEI has been permanently deputed at the centre to support the local staff in the day-to-day operations. Under the abled leadership of Dr Jerry Brown, CEO, John F Kennedy Memorial Medical Center, the eye centre is doing phenomenally well. Till date, 7224 outpatients have been treated at the centre, of whom 1000+ were treated at no cost to the patient. Similarly 500+ surgeries have been performed, of whom 100+ surgeries were performed at no cost to the patient.
Efforts are on by LVPEI and JFK to build a strong workforce of eye care personnel in the country, and specialized training is being provided to ophthalmologists, optometrists, vision technicians and nursing assistants. An Ophthalmology Residency program in coordination with the Liberia College of Physicians and Surgeons will soon be initiated.
About L V Prasad Eye Institute
The L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) was established in 1987 at Hyderabad as a not-for-profit, non-government, public-spirited, comprehensive eye care institution. LVPEI is governed by two trusts: the Hyderabad Eye Institute and the Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation. The Institute is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness and a Global Resource Centre for VISION 2020: The Right to Sight initiative. LVPEI has ten active arms to its areas of operations namely Clinical Services, Education, Research, Vision Rehabilitation, Rural and Community Eye Health, Eye Banking, Advocacy and Policy Planning, Capacity Building, Innovation and Product Development. For more information, visit www.lvpei.org.
For further information, please contact:
Sam Balasundaram, Associate Director - Administration, Public Relations & Fund Raising
L V Prasad Eye Institute
Email:sjbala@lvpei.org