Barbados: Flying Eye Hospital Program wrap up

We had an amazing time working with local eye teams and the Ophthalmological Society of the West Indies during our two-week program in May.

Supported by the Ministry of Health and hosted by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital the Flying Eye Hospital project strengthened the skills and capacity of eye teams from Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia.

After consulting with the Ministry of Health the program focused on cataract, glaucoma, strabismus and retina diseases which we identified as the areas which we could have the biggest impact. 

Glaucoma, in particular, is one of the most common eye diseases in the region. According to the Barbados Eye Study in 1994, prevalence of open-angle glaucoma in people over 40 was among the highest in the world at 7%, with the majority (53%) of cases going undetected. Glaucoma affects 1 in 11 Afro-Caribbean people over the age of 50, and almost 1 in 6 of those over 70 years old.

During the first week of the project we focused on simulation training which combines the latest in simulation technology, virtual reality, and scientific, surgical and medical knowledge. These new methods of delivering hands-on training allowed local teams to practice complex surgical skills in a controlled environment before operating on patients. A big thanks to our partner, UTC Aerospace Systems, for providing us with this ground-breaking equipment.