Pic : (l to r) Margaretha du Bruin with the tonometer, Rtn Lindsay Pearson, Tony Yoell, Rtns Ivan Beaumont and David Truter with Sister Glenecia Bosman (seated) of St Francis Clinic.
The Rotary Club of St Francis was happy to assist two local Optometrists, Magaretha de Bruin of Blink in St Francis and Tony Yoell when they recently appealed for funding assistance to purchase a tonometer for use at the St Francis Clinic in Sea Vista. Both optometrists offer their professional services at the Clinic voluntarily on a weekly basis.
“The tonometer measures the internal pressure of the fluid in the eye,” explained Tony Yoell. “There is an ocular disease called glaucoma which results in raised fluid pressure in the eye, and, if undetected, results in total loss of vision. Until now, where we have had a suspected glaucoma case, we have had to refer the patient to the Provincial Hospital in Gqueberha and, on most occasions, the patient is lost in the system without us getting a result. With this latest handheld contact tonometer which the Rotarians have so generously supplied, we can now do our own in-house pressure measurements and refer only when necessary. Our clinic has been running for the past 13 years on a “pro deo” basis. We are the only indigent vision clinic providing a service between Plettenberg Bay and Port Elizabeth. With the right instruments, such as the tonometer, we can now go to the next level. We owe a debt of deep gratitude to the Rotarians – a sincere thank you. “ said Yoell.
When handing over the tonometer at the Clinic, Club Treasurer Ivan Beaumont said, “The purchase of this equipment, as with all the projects carried out by the Rotary Club of St Francis, was made possible by donor funding and the support of the greater St Francis community for our fundraisers. Thanks go to everyone for the ongoing support.”
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