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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, March 29, 2012 · 10 By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Optometrist helped Hondurans with vision ence with a variety of eye disorders and helps these students appreciate how good they really have it living in Canada. "We take our sight for granted. If someone has an eye problem in Canada you go to an eye doctor and get it taken care of. If you can't afford it, you draw from social assistance and the government will pay for it," said Agarwal. "Over there, if you are, for example, a seamstress and you can't see, you can't make a living and feed your family and you can't go to the eye doctor because you can't afford it. By providing a simple eye exam we're really making a difference in that person's life." The visitors set up their free clinic in the Juan Manuel Galvez Hospital and provided services from Feb. 19-23. After patients outlined their personal histories and the visual problems they were having, they were screened for cataracts, diabetes and other ocular disorders and diseases. Some conditions could be treated with medication the group brought while other conditions could be corrected with a pair of glasses. Glasses prescriptions were determined with equipment clinic staff brought with them. For February's trip, Agarwal's group brought a glasses library of some 7,500 donated pairs, which were provided to patients, as needed. Agarwal noted the Lion's Club of Calgary donated these glasses. "Our first day was a bit slower just to get accustomed to the pace and then we saw around 300-350 patients per day," said Agarwal. "We opened the clinic at 8 a.m., and then worked until 9 An Oakville optometrist is calling a recent trip to Honduras, to deliver desperately-needed eye care, a success as 1,400 patients were seen in the one week. Dr. Sanjay Agarwal of Great Lakes Optometry, and 17 students from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry, journeyed to Gracias, Lempira last month as part of an effort for I Care International. The registered Canadian charity, formed by Agarwal in 1999, sees Agarwal and groups of optometry students donate their time to provide free eye care to underprivileged people in places like Honduras. Agarwal said the charity is important as it helps those in need, allows optometry students to get a hands-on experi- DAVID LEA / OAKVILLE BEAVER / @davidlea6 a vision to help: Dr. Sanjay Agarwal has made it a tradition to assist those who cannot afford vision care or have it readily available to them. or 10 p.m. Very long days." Agarwal said some of the common eye disorders the group encountered included cataracts and a condition called pterygium, where a growth occurs on the surface of the eye because of sun exposure. Diabetic retinopathy and dry eye were also seen. "Hondurans love their salt, we noticed that with the cuisine we ate. There's a lot of hypertension there so we had a lot of changes in the eyes related to cardiovascular disease," said Agarwal. "We also saw a lot of traumatic cases where people lost their vision from a farming accident or a rock to the eye because most of these people work outside." Patients with cataracts and pterygium, which require surgery, were placed on a list to be seen by some Cuban doctors in a nearby city at no charge. Agarwal said there were many amazing moments during this trip. Incidents where the students displayed their commitment to helping their patients, he said, stand out most. "The students are giving up their reading week and working long days, but some of them really went the extra mile," said Agarwal. "Some patients had chronic conditions where they had to be seen for three or four consecutive days, but they couldn't afford to come back because they live far away. So the students would go out of their way to give them cab fare or bus fare out of their own pockets." Agarwal said he wants to go to Brazil for his next I Care International expedition and noted he plans to continue making these trips for many years to come. "I like to give back. I think rather than writing a cheque, it is better to give your expertise and time because you know exactly where it is going," said Agarwal. Agarwal is continuing to ask residents to donate used glasses to help assist those in need. He is also asking for donations of used equipment including a portable slit lamp, triallens sets and an autorefractor. For more information, e-mail Agarwal at sagarwal52@ hotmail.com or visit www. icareinternational.ca. You could get $150 just for opening an account. 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