John Mellsop treating patients in Tonga. This month each visit to Visique in Wanganui will help give basic eye care to people in Fiji.
John Mellsop treating patients in Tonga. This month each visit to Visique in Wanganui will help give basic eye care to people in Fiji.
This month the community of Wanganui has the opportunity to help more than 1000 Fijians receive basic eye care and specialised treatment.
Until May 31, optometry practices Visique Wanganui Eyecare Centre and Visique Goldsbury Optometrists have committed to supporting the Voluntary Ophthalmic Services Overseas (VOSO) initiative by making a donationfor every eye examination undertaken at the practice. Formed in the 1980s, VOSO provides free eye care to help prevent and reduce the risk of blindness among the people of the Pacific Islands.
Having volunteered for VOSO in 2011, the organisation sent a team of optometrists to Tonga to provide basic eye care and specialised treatment.
Visique optometrist John Mellsop understands first-hand the importance of VOSO and the services it offers.
"Access to basic eye care is something that we as New Zealanders take for granted at times, and we hope the community of Wanganui will support this important initiative.
"When I was in Tonga, I remember seeing the queues of people waiting daily to be seen in the eye clinics, which was a stark reminder of the importance of VOSO. It was obvious there was a vital need for the services the VOSO team were there to provide ..." he said.
