Harborough eyewear amnesty gives clearer sight to 1,000 people
Lynne Tubb and Pat Groenestein of Davis Optometrists handing over the collectionof glasses raised during its Eyewear Amnesty to Ashok Bangar from the Slum Doctor Project.
More than 1,000 people living in a poverty-stricken Indian slum are to be given improved vision thanks to an Eyewear Amnesty held in Harborough.
Generous people in the town donated their unwanted spectacles to the appeal organised by Clinton-Smith Warren and Davis Optometrists, based in St Mary’s Road, Harborough.
Last month’s collection saw the optometrists team up with the Slum Doctor Project, a UK charity which sets up make-shift medical camps every March.
Seven boxes of donated eyewear are now being shipped out this week to the encampment in India’s Punjab region and will be sorted on arrival before being prescribed for free.
Kim Durden, a partner optician at Davis Optometrists, said: “We would like to thank the good people of Harborough for a truly magnificent effort. These old pairs of glasses and spectacles will make a life-changing difference to everyone who receives them.”
Dr Vijay Bangar, director of the Slum Doctor Project, added: “In this country we take good-quality eye care like that provided by Davis Optometrists for granted, but in parts of India it is just not available unless you have lots of money.
“This impressive haul of glasses will make a huge differences to people’s lives. For instance, some of our patients will be able to see their grandchildren properly for the first time.”
Last year the Slum Doctor Project medical camp treated 8,000 patients. The team arranged for 300 eye operations, 300 hearing aids were fitted and 50 serious surgical operations were organised.
Clinton-Smith Warren and Davis Optometrists, which has five branches across the area, is planning to stage another Eyewear Amnesty for next year’s Slum Doctor Project camp.
To follow the progress of this year’s camp, see the Slum Doctor Project page on Facebook.
Further details about the Slum Doctor Project are also available at the website www.slumdoctor.co.uk
For more information about Davis Optometrists, see its website at www.davisopticians.co.uk.
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Weather for Market Harborough
Saturday 25 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 5 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North
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Temperature: 7 C to 18 C
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