In August Enfoque Ixcan joined once again with Amigos Eye Care of Pacific University College of Optometry for a mission trip to Ixcan, Guatemala. This was the 10th consecutive year we have partnered with Amigos.
In our 4 days of clinics we examined 888 people in 3 different locations, seeing toddlers to 80 year olds. Three hundred sixty-nine glasses were dispensed along with hundreds of sunglasses and eye drops. We also identified 52 people needing eye surgeries. Our eye health promoters, Felipe and Arnulfo will be arranging to take these patients to a Guatemalan eye clinic to have the surgeries performed. Enfoque Ixcán will pay for the operations out of funds received from individual donors.
Nine optometry students made up the team. They represented all 4 optometry classes at the college. In addition, there were 3 doctors and one other volunteer. Dr. Brian Arvidson, Dr. Scott Pike and volunteer Dwight Fleck were on the team representing the Board of Directors of Enfoque Ixcán. This year we had 3 students returning for repeat visits to Guatemala.
