Illustrative photo (Source: VNA) Can Tho (VNA) – About 200,000 children and elderly people in the Mekong Delta region will benefit from eye care services under a project to be carried out from 2016-2018.
The project has a total investment of 1 million USD, funded by Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam, and ORBIS International Vietnam, among other international organisations.
Country Director at ORBIS International Vietnam Tran Huong, said the project aims to provide comprehensive care packages at a reasonable price, for children and people aged over 50 in Can Tho and Ca Mau.
The project will also help the two localities develop their child eye care and refraction services.
During 2016-2018, more than 2,000 children are expected to receive eye surgery, nearly 10,000 others with eye problems will receive treatment.
The project will also perform eye refraction screening for nearly 90,000 children and 30,000 elderly people in the two localities.
Some 15,000 free or partially-funded glasses will be provided for the targeted groups.
The Mekong Delta region has reported a high rate of children with eye problems, especially eye refraction.
Over 150 prematurely born children in the region are vunerable to detached retina each year.
The region has more people with cataracts than any other, however, the number of patients receiving surgery remains very low.-VNA
