Charity    East Timor Eye Program (ETEP)

Waiting Room! at Baucau Hospital

Examing with Slit Lamp and Volk Lens

Dili Street 2008

The ProVision Optometry Team are supported by Optomery Giving Sight to deliver eye care services to the people of East Timor– Timor Leste.

The eye teams visit the towns and villages throughout East timor on a regualr basis. It Includes the towns of Oe-Cusse ( also known as Pante Makasser) enclave, Baucau, Suai and Malapina and Maliana. Oe-Cusse is a small region consisting of about 80,000 people and was the original landing sight of the Portugese in 1515.

Happy Childre Of Oe-Cusse

Ocular Tumor-requiring eye removal

The teams usually consist of about 10 volunteers comprising of 2 Optometrsist, 2 Ophthalmologists and nursing staff from the Australasian College of Surgeons, along with the local support staff and eye nurses.

Transport to Oe-Cusse by Mi8 Helicopter

Oe-Cusse Enclave:

The team are transported to the Oe-Cusse enclave via the UN Russian MI 9 helicopter. This trip is about 40 minutes ( approx 100km) along the coastline– very noisy indeed!!.

Peter and Nunu at Baucau Hospital

Vitamin A deficiency-causing corneal scars

Peter and Smiling Children

Examing with Retinomax

Translation to help us!!!

Thank you after exam

Waiting for eye exam

Andrew Maver examining patients

Peter Bell with patient

Examing with Retinoscopy Lens Rack

The Optometric teams have been visiting East Timor since 2003, and have seen approx. 30,000 people ( as of 2009) and dispensed approx 34,000 pairs of spectacles.