Pacific eye specialists continue to serve communities despite difficulties
Quoting Radio New Zealand � 2 July 2019
�A small group of Pacific eye care specialists are determined to make a difference despite the challenge of a heavy workload, large areas to cover and often minimal resources at their disposal.
�There is also a glaring shortage of specialists across the region which has exacerbated the problem.
�However there is hope on the horizon with a number of countries recently getting their first Ophthamalogists or eye doctors and reinforcements imminent.
�Eye health has a long history of being an issue with cataracts common and responsible for 80 percent of avoidable blindness in the Pacific.
�But the field is under more pressure now with the emergence of diabetes eye disease off the back of a non-communicable disease crisis.
�Duke Mataka is the only Ophthamalogist in Tonga, having just graduated from the Pacific Eye Institute in Suva
�Like Dr Mataka, Rabebe Tekeraoi is the only eye care specialist in her country, Kiribati. She said while she was attending to up to 40 people a day at her clinic, there were more people in need in the outer islands.�
Copyright @ 2019, Radio New Zealand
