MORE than a hundred patients from various parts of Western Province have turned up at Gizo Hospital this week to receive treatment from the visiting Eye Specialist Team from the Regional Eye Centre, National Referral Hospital (NRH), under the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS).
The team began seeing patients and operations on Monday. Within two days, over 100 patients were checked, with some referred for surgical procedures at the hospital’s surgical ward.
Speaking to the Solomon Star in an interview this week, Head of the Eye Department and National Eye Program, Dr. Carole Poloso said, the visit is part of their annual outreach program aimed at extending eye health services beyond Honiara to the provinces.
“We are trying our best to take this service across the whole of Solomon Islands because not everyone can afford to travel to Honiara,” she explained.
“The same quality of service provided at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) is also provided during our provincial visits,” Dr. Poloso added.
She said the services include surgical operations to address avoidable blindness — eye problems that can be treated or prevented — such as cataract surgery and pterygium surgery.

The team also provides diabetes eye care, including patient screening and laser treatment for those who need it.
In addition, they offer refractive error services such as glasses check-ups to help patients improve distance or reading vision, along with general eye examinations.
Dr. Poloso confirmed that the turnout in Gizo has been very good, with around 150 patients seen on the first day alone.
Patients have travelled from as far as Marovo Lagoon, surrounding islands of Gizo, and even South Choiseul Province.
She acknowledged the support from local health workers, including eye nurses from Gizo Hospital, Helena Goldie Hospital, and Choiseul, as well as general nurses who assisted in the program.
Dr. Poloso noted that most of the patients are aged 50 years and above, with cases linked to cataract caused by aging and diabetes, although some younger patients were also checked.
The Eye Specialist Team will continue its outreach at Gizo Hospital throughout this week till Friday 17th .
Dr. Poloso thanked the Solomon Islands Government, MHMS, the Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand, and the Western Provincial Health Authority for their continuous support to the National Eye Program.
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star, Gizo
