Vision Eye Institute (VEI) is collaborating with Sight For All to help the Australian charity advance eyecare for underprivileged communities around the world.
VEI CEO Ms Amanda Cranage said the organisations share a goal to transform lives through eyecare.
“Although VEI’s 29 clinics and day hospitals are located throughout Australia, we are very much aware of the millions of vision-impaired people beyond our shores, which is exactly what Sight For All was set up for,” she said.
“We are thrilled that this partnership will extend our impact on the lives of individuals in all communities.”
Sight For All was established by South Australian ophthalmologists Dr James Muecke AM, Professor Robert Casson and Associate Professor Henry Newland in 2009.
Prof Casson, the chair of Sight For All, said the organisation’s aim is to make communities self-sufficient, rather than reliant on external support. This means providing equipment and training to increase the ophthalmic capacity in target communities, before phasing out support once local doctors are suitably trained.
Every year, more than 120 eyecare professionals, including VEI doctors, donate over 10,000 hours of their time to deliver intensive, in-country training.
“Sight For All is delighted to welcome Vision Eye Institute as an enterprise supporter. With a shared vision and passion for positive patient outcomes and research, the collaboration between our two organisations holds great promise for making a meaningful difference in promoting eye health and wellbeing,” Prof Casson said.
Vision Eye Institute doctors on the front line
Dr Tess Huynh is a corneal, cataract and refractive surgeon at Vision Eye Institute Hurstville. She was part of a team of Australian corneal specialists who volunteered to teach/give lectures and supervise surgery as part of the Sight For All corneal fellowship training.
“I wanted to impart knowledge and expertise where it was needed most in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. We each spent an intensive week in Hanoi in 2017 to cover the corneal topic for that month. Sight For All chose two to three ophthalmologists from Hanoi to complete the cornea fellowship program over 12 months,” she said.
“VEI partnering with a recognised charity such as Sight For All is a great opportunity for more of our doctors to be involved in volunteer work in Australia, as well as in our neighbouring countries. It’s an exciting move for both.”
Managing partner of Vision Eye Institute Hurstville, Dr Jason Cheng, joined Sight For All in 2023 as part of an 18-month glaucoma fellowship program in Cambodia.
“The Sight For All in-country fellowship program is incredibly effective at providing long-term, sustainable healthcare benefits to the country. In July 2023, I was one of the Visionaries who attended the Khmer Soviet Hospital for one week to train four Cambodian fellows in clinical and surgical glaucoma,” he said.
“Sight For All has multiple programs across the globe. These are designed to maximise outcomes in a cost-effective way – every donated hour and dollar are maximised, which benefits more patients. I encourage anyone to support this organisation with their time or through a tax-deductible donation.”
The partnership also includes opportunities for VEI staff to get involved through Sight For All projects in Australia and overseas, the Sight For All Research Committee and workplace giving.
More reading
Amanda Cranage on her journey from orthoptist to CEO of Vision Eye Institute
New leaders and expanded services mark year of achievements for Vision Eye Institute
Vision Eye Institute partners with Melbourne’s Western Eye Specialists
