BELAIR--The St. Maarten Lions Club children’s eye-screening project under Immediate Past President Davey Woods started on Monday with screening the first set of pupils of primary schools in St. Maarten. One issue facing the Lions Club is the consent forms returned unsigned by parents.
The Daily Herald understands that parents are reluctant to sign the consent form. Past President Davey Woods said on Monday that the programme is a collaboration project with Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH) International under the theme “Eyes for a Brighter Future.”
Nineteen doctors and assistants are on the island along with three fast screening machines to test the eyes of all primary school pupils. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports is behind the project and allowed pupils the free time from school to visit the Belair Community Centre for their eye tests.
VOSH brought supplies of eyeglasses for the children who need glasses. For children who do not receive glasses on the spot because of non-availability or special requirements, VOSH will purchase the prescriptions from the US, Canada or locally within a three-week period.
“We have professional doctors here and hope that parents who have not yet signed their children’s consent form will reconsider and allow them to take the free eye test,” said Lions President Alison Busby.
The Lions reiterated that the project is completely free to all schoolchildren, but requires the signed consent of their parents or guardians for the free testing from 7:30am to 4:00pm, and will end on May 18. The Club also thanked National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) for sending its nursing class to assist with the handling of the schoolchildren.
This St. Maarten Lions Club Sight Project is funded 80 per cent by donations and fundraisings over the past year and through generous donations from various sponsors, while VOSH is handling the balance of the funding.
