A BALLYMENA surgeon is set to travel to Cambodia in February as part of a local team which will provide cataract operations and other eye surgeries to those in need.
Colin Willoughby is a Professor of Ophthalmology at Ulster University and a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at the Belfast HSC Trust.
He was educated at Ballykeel Primary School and Cambridge House Grammar School prior to university in Liverpool, before moving back to live in Ballymena in 2004.
Speaking to the Ballymena Guardian, Professor Willoughby said: “I am the mission lead of a Northern Irish team to provide a cataract surgery mission to the Khmer Sight Foundation, Cambodia in February 2023.
“In 2019 a group of Northern Irish eye surgeons, nurses, optometrists and volunteers spent a week in Cambodia.
“We performed 190 cataract and other sight-saving operations.
“On February 6, 2023, the Northern Irish team will provide another mission for one week.
“We have a team of over 35 people consisting of eye surgeons, anaesthetists, ophthalmologists, optometrists, theatre nurses, specialist eye nurses, physicians and volunteers from across the NHS and private sector in Northern Ireland.
“They have all given their time voluntarily and used their own annual leave allowance.
“Around 17 million people live in Cambodia and nearly three-quarters of the population live on less than $3 a day.
“Over 180,000 Cambodians are blind and 90% of blindness is avoidable.
“Three-quarters of blindness is due to cataracts. Cambodia has very few ophthalmologists to help its people.
“Between 1975 and 1979 the Khmer Rouge perpetrated the Cambodian genocide and the legacy has affected generations.
“During our visit we will also help to train and educate local doctors, nurses, optometrists and medical students to replace this lost generation.”
The mission is based in Phnom Penh and coordinated by The Khmer Sight Foundation (
http://khmersight.com/ and
https://www.facebook.com/
CISACAMBODIA/ ).
The Khmer Sight Foundation (KSF) was founded in 2015 by the late Australian Ophthalmologist Dr. Kim Frumar, his partner Teresa De Leon, and Cambodian Secretary of State, Sean Ngu. Professor Sunil Shah from Birmingham (UK) is the International Medical Chair.
KSF is a non-profit non-governmental organisation whose mission is to eliminate avoidable blindness in Cambodia and provide expert clinical training, recognised by overseas professional bodies, for all eye care health professionals. International teams from the UK, France, Germany, Singapore and India will visit Cambodia to undertake weeklong missions.
https://www.ballymenaguardian.co.uk/new ... dia-39198/
A BALLYMENA surgeon is set to travel to Cambodia in February as part of a local team which will provide cataract operations and other eye surgeries to those in need.
Colin Willoughby is a Professor of Ophthalmology at Ulster University and a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at the Belfast HSC Trust.
He was educated at Ballykeel Primary School and Cambridge House Grammar School prior to university in Liverpool, before moving back to live in Ballymena in 2004.
Speaking to the Ballymena Guardian, Professor Willoughby said: “I am the mission lead of a Northern Irish team to provide a cataract surgery mission to the Khmer Sight Foundation, Cambodia in February 2023.
“In 2019 a group of Northern Irish eye surgeons, nurses, optometrists and volunteers spent a week in Cambodia.
“We performed 190 cataract and other sight-saving operations.
“On February 6, 2023, the Northern Irish team will provide another mission for one week.
“We have a team of over 35 people consisting of eye surgeons, anaesthetists, ophthalmologists, optometrists, theatre nurses, specialist eye nurses, physicians and volunteers from across the NHS and private sector in Northern Ireland.
“They have all given their time voluntarily and used their own annual leave allowance.
“Around 17 million people live in Cambodia and nearly three-quarters of the population live on less than $3 a day.
“Over 180,000 Cambodians are blind and 90% of blindness is avoidable.
“Three-quarters of blindness is due to cataracts. Cambodia has very few ophthalmologists to help its people.
“Between 1975 and 1979 the Khmer Rouge perpetrated the Cambodian genocide and the legacy has affected generations.
“During our visit we will also help to train and educate local doctors, nurses, optometrists and medical students to replace this lost generation.”
The mission is based in Phnom Penh and coordinated by The Khmer Sight Foundation (http://khmersight.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/
CISACAMBODIA/ ).
The Khmer Sight Foundation (KSF) was founded in 2015 by the late Australian Ophthalmologist Dr. Kim Frumar, his partner Teresa De Leon, and Cambodian Secretary of State, Sean Ngu. Professor Sunil Shah from Birmingham (UK) is the International Medical Chair.
KSF is a non-profit non-governmental organisation whose mission is to eliminate avoidable blindness in Cambodia and provide expert clinical training, recognised by overseas professional bodies, for all eye care health professionals. International teams from the UK, France, Germany, Singapore and India will visit Cambodia to undertake weeklong missions.
https://www.ballymenaguardian.co.uk/news/2023/02/05/gallery/ballymena-man-will-lead-cataract-team-to-cambodia-39198/
[img]https://www.ballymenaguardian.co.uk/resizer/670/-1/true/GN4_DAT_5350705.jpg--.jpg?1675592657779[/img]