New eye and dental clinic being built in Livingstonia

Plans for a permanent eye clinic at Livingstonia are moving forward! Our picture above shows the footings and slab of the new building being completed. The building was designed by architect Daniel Challis and will provide enough room for a simple eye-clinic and dentistry facility. Building work continues, and we are looking forward to seeing whether it'll be ready for use in August!

More ophthalmic equipment donated

We have been hoping to find the necessary instruments to equip the soon-to-be completed eye-clinic facility at Livingstonia. Following a conversation with Wendy Deeks, equipment co-ordinator at Vision Aid Overseas, she has bee able to locate and send us the following: 

• an indirect ophthalmoscope
  
• two Perkins (Type 1) tonometers
  
• two focimeters
  
• three retinoscopes and 2 spare handles
  
• two cases of trial lenses for clinic use
  
• one case of trial lenses for portable use
  
• five trial frames
  
• near vision test types (charts)
  
• an assortment of dispensing tools and equipment.

Thank you Wendy, for this amazing donation. All this equipment will be used in a part of the country where there is still no eye-care.
 

South Africa Airways: not so generous!

Sadly, we've heard from SAA that they'll be unable to give us any additional baggage allowance for this trip. That is a great pity, but we'll just have to manage the best we can.

South Africa Airways: please be generous!

When we head for Malawi again this August, we shall do so with baggage stuffed to the limit with old glasses and ophthalmic equipment, and with minimal personal items. In previous years we have been given generous additional baggage allowance by the airline concerned. This year, for the first time, we've decided to fly with South Africa Airways as the flights were more convenient for us. We have made a request for additional baggage allowance, but haven't heard from them yet.
We're hoping that SAA will be able to let us know soon, so that we can prepare appropriately.

New screening device for cataracts to be trialled

We have recently been approached by Duncan Campbell, who has developed, with George Strang, a new device for cataract detection. Their company, Catatrac Ltd, has given us some of these to take to Malawi this year to trial in the field.

We shall be seeing if this device – about the size of a medium torch – can be effectively used by local staff when assessing patients.