As I celebrate my 25th year volunteering as an eye surgeon in Southeast Asia. I am delighted to share photos and stories about the vision challenges and the people and cultures of India, Nepal, Cambodia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Vietnam.  - Dr. Gary Barth

Our private foundation is ideally suited to work with Dr. Bidya Pant’s Charity Health Foundation Nepal(CHFN) and in partnership with our Australian friends Dave & Kerry Rickards and their foundation DAK.

 

The three foundations have been successful in establishing 20 Primary Eye Care Clinics in our chosen catchment area in Southwestern Nepal.
 

Our BBH Eye Foundation commitment works well in providing funding to a municipality. When a Mayor/City Council agrees to three rules: BBH donates all the exam equipment and cutting and grinding equipment to make and dispense glasses.  BBH also provides

 the initial stock of glasses frames, lens blanks and pharmaceutical supplies.

The conditions required of the municipality are easy in Nepal with its excellent medical education infrastructure and high unemployment:
 

1. Provide a building of around 1400 sq feet for the clinic and dispensary.

2. Construct/modify the building to create a darkened exam room and optical sales area.

3. Hire three employees: an ophthalmic assistant who can diagnose and refract, an optician to make glasses on-site, and a front desk person.

 

The municipality's upside is enormous. All profits from modest exam fees and glass sales go to the local government. Anyone needing surgery is referred to one of our 3 surgery centers where the procedure is always free. 
 

It is no wonder that when Jack and I made an unannounced visit to Lamkichula, we were told that the Mayor very much wanted to greet and thank us. We had to wait outdoors; the clinic was jammed with people.  

 

We tried to ‘beg off’, but the staff insisted we wait for the Mayor.  

Soon down the semi-paved road, a large motorcycle arrived, carrying the grateful mayor in a side saddle riding position. She profusely thanked us and as you can see from Jack’s photograph we were garlanded and given the red mark chandallo. She told us through an interpreter that the clinic was so successful and a benefit to their community that they were planning to move it into the city's administrative/hospital complex.