Lao Rehabilitation Foundation

Health Care ProjectsMay 2022 MissionAfter not being allowed to enter Laos for two and a half years because of COVID travel restrictions, LRF was finally granted an official visa by mid-April 2022 to allow the delivery of long-awaited ophthalmic surgical equipment and supplies in early May. Our mission started at Luang Prabang Provincial Hospital with a cataract surgery by phocoemulsification training for 3 ophthalmologists and continued in Oudomxay Provincial Hospital and Houn District Hospital. The team performed a total of 97 eye surgeries, all with good outcome and further provided 38 pairs of glasses for presbyopia.November 2022 MissionOur second mobile cataract surgery mission of 2022 brought us to Phongslay, the least visited and most extreme northern province of Laos, bordering China to the North and west and Vietnam to the east. Nurses from the three district hospitals of the province, Bounneu, Phongsaly and Yord Ou screened the vision of 878 older people as part of their ongoing outreach program in 50 remote villages and appointed those with cataracts to be treated at a given date and location. Our mobile team screened the vision of an additional 656 people while in the district hospitals. 83 cataract surgeries were performed, 12 other sight restoring surgeries were performed and 128 pairs of prescription glasses were donated.Equipment and supplies were provided by LRF in cooperation withSEE International (Surgical Eye Expeditions of USA).