Developing ophthalmology in Cambodia

Abstract

Over 180,000 Cambodian people are blind and a further 10,000 suffer avoidable blindness each year. Ninety percent of this blindness is avoidable, 79% is curable and 11% is preventable. Three-quarters of this blindness is due to cataracts and the remainder is due to uncorrected vision, glaucoma, corneal scarring and pterygium. The Khmer Sight Foundation (KSF) is a charity reincarnated by Professor Sunil Shah and Sean Ngu. Its mission is to deliver a sustainable eye care model for the country. KSF takes a three pronged approach to this. It is working to develop sustainable eye-care within the country through building physical infrastructure. The second approach is to impact the current cataract backlog of over 300,000 patients with the aid of international support. Thirdly, KSF is paving the way for the next generation through the development of an optometry education programme and training of Cambodian ophthalmologists. Here we present the workings of KSF, clinical cases we have encountered and elaborate upon the future goals of this charity.

Fig. 1

Local screening sessions held in a remote village.

Fig. 2

Multiple operating tables running at once.

Fig. 3

Post-operative patients at the end of the day with their sunglasses.

Fig. 4

The team on a tour of the palace with Prince Tesso of Cambodia.

Fig. 5

2 year old with an advanced orbital tumour.

Fig. 6

Two girls with severe neurofibromatosis.

Fig. 7

Little boy with congenital ichthyosis.

Fig. 8

Vascular malformation of the tongue.

Fig. 9

11 year-old girl with a dense white cataract.

Fig. 10

First presentations of congenital glaucoma.

Fig. 11

The different categories of optometric services.

Fig. 12

The potential optometry curriculum to be implemented by KSF in Cambodia.

Fig. 13

The output from one surgeon performing small incision cataract surgery in a single day.