Cataract Chronicles-25 years
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
Chronicle 39 - Establishing a Private Foundation Gives us Flexibility to Maximize the Impact of Donations
I am thrilled to have co-founded BBH Eye Foundation, a private foundation 501(c)(s), because we can focus on equipment and supplies without worrying about national governmental hindrances. Too often, the country’s medical rules make no sense from our Western perspective.
For example:
In Nepal, trained and certified ophthalmic assistants can prescribe glasses and topical antibiotics without a physician. BBH has fully equipped 21 Primary Eye Care Centers with ophthalmic assistants in Western Nepal. See map below.
In Bangladesh, as shown in the sign below, BBH Eye Foundation spent an extra $4,000 to set up a telemedicine unit in a primary care eye clinic we opened.
The equally well-trained assistant had to establish a direct internet connection with a physician in the city to have them officially prescribe glasses or eye medications.
In Northwest Bangladesh, Nepal and Bangladesh are only 16 miles apart. To maximize donor money, we continue working with municipalities in Nepal, where our funding can reach more patients handicapped by dense cataracts.
