The Gambia – Swansea Vision 2020 Eye Link

In November 2010 the fourth visit to The Gambia took place. The team consisted of Stella Elliott – link coordinator, Mike Austin – Ophthalmologist, Paul Lawrance – medical physics, Bethan Edwards – pharmacist and Sue Williams – Ophthalmic theatre nurse.  Click here to read Sue’s blog! Click here to read Bethan’s blog!

Mrs Stella Elliott presenting an opthalmic A and B mode ultrasound machine to Mrs Isatou Jobe and Dr Patricia Wade of SZRECC.  This equipment was kindly donated by Spectrum Ophthalmics UK and will be used to examine eyes blind with cataract prior to surgery and in calculating the best power of lens implant for individual cataract surgery patients.

We were delighted to receive a cheque for £305 from the Oxwich community in December.  The money was raised for the link during the annual Harvest Supper and was presented to Suzanne Martin and Cheryl Madeira-Cole at a Christmas Carol Service. Cheryl and Suzanne were invited to this enjoyable musical event by David Laws, also of the link who lives locally. The money will be used to continue to fund the ongoing programme of education at the Sheikh Zahed Regional Eye Care Centre.

The Barn dance on Saturday October 9th in Reynoldston Village Hall for The Gambia-Swansea Vision 2020 Link was a rip roaring success!  Click here for details!

We were delighted to be invited speak at the above event.  Click here to view the presentation we gave. (1.5MB PDF file).

Well done and thank you to Judy Elphick who has hand made flower brooches to raise £27.50 towards The Gambia-Swansea Vision 2020 Eye Link.

A team from Swansea visited The Gambia on 27th October for one week.

The team consisted of Michael Austin (Consultant Ophthalmologist), Stella Elliott (Link Co-ordinator), Susan Pickering (Glaucoma nurse), Paul Lawrance (Medical Physician) and Huw Bellamy (Optometrist)

Click here to read a report of the visit

Click here to read Paul’s blog

In August an article on The Gambia Swansea link was published in the monthly newsletter of the British and Irish Orthoptic Society. “Parallel Vision”  is circulated to over 1000 Orthoptists throughout the British Isles.

Click here to read the full article

A team of four from the Sheikh Zahed Regional Eye Care Centre visited Singleton Hospital, Swansea on two occasions during September and October. As well as benefiting from a varied educational programme their itinerary included a visit to the Welsh Folk Museum in Cardiff and an invitation to a charity ball.

 A major fundraising evening will mark the start of a new joint effort in South Wales to help people in need of healthcare in Africa. Click here to find out more.