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Mission takes rocky road to success in MexicoBy David LeaAfter patients gave their personal histories and the surface of the eye because of exposure to too OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFFlisted the visual problems they were having they much sun.were screened for cataracts, diabetes and other A lot of the people we helped worked out-It got off to a rocky start, but an Oakvilleocular disorders and diseases.doors. Theyre farmers or they do construction optometrist is calling a recent trip to Mexico toSome conditions could be treated with medi-and they dont wear adequate sun protection, deliver much needed eye care a resounding suc-cation the group brought with them while other said Agarwal.cess with more than 850 patients seen in oneconditions could be corrected by giving the So they develop this pterygium, which devel-week.patient a pair of glasses.ops overtop of the eye and eventually causes you Dr. Sanjay Agarwal of Great Lakes OptometryIf the patient needed glasses the prescription to lose your sight because you cant see through and 11 students from the University of Waterlooand size were determined through equipment the the growth.School of Optometry journeyed to the city of clinic staff brought with them.As cataracts and pterygium require surgery to Zihuatanejo last month as part of an effort for IFor Februarys trip Agarwals group brought a be corrected, patients diagnosed with these condi-Care International.glasses library of around 6,000 donated pairs, tions were placed on a surgical list so an American The registered Canadian charity, formed bywhich were provided to patients as needed.ophthalmologist can see them when he arrives in Agarwal in 1999, sees Agarwal and groups of On the first day of the clinic, however, provid-June.optometry students donate their time to provideing all these services did not go so smoothly.While the students received a lifetime of expe-free eye care to underprivileged people in placesWe took down 10 second-year students and rience from their adventure to Mexico, Agarwal Dr. Sanjay Agarwal like Mexico.one third year and because of that we didnt have said fulfilling his desire to teach and knowing that This was not Agarwals first visit toa lot of experience. A lot of students didnt know he was helping people who really needed his help, had more translators and it just went moreZihuatanejo.all the testing, said Agarwal.were the main things he got out of the experi-smoothly, he said.In 2009 Agarwal and 13 optometry studentsOur first day was quite rough. We were ence.After that it just took off. The students wereset up a one-week eye care clinic within the city,scrambling around, the students were really frus-There was one child who had an eye turn and more comfortable so we started to increase thewhich served around 1,100 people.trated, they were stressed out, there was a point we gave him a pair of glasses, he was a high plus number of patients we saw per day and in the endThere is no shortage of need for the serviceswhere they didnt want to do the next four days.prescription and his eyes just straightened out we saw 850 people in five days. So it worked outthe charity provides.Communication barriers between the stu-right away, said Agarwal.really well.We could be there for a month and not seedents and the patients only added to this frustra-He wont have a lazy eye anymore so that will Agarwal said during this period the studentseverybody, said Agarwal, in a previous interview.tion.change his vision for the rest of his life.see more ocular diseases and disorders than theyThe lineups are long and people wait hoursThat night Agarwal assured the students the Agarwal is hoping to bring his next eye care will probably see in 20 years of clinical practice inand hours in the sun to see us because they havesituation would improve and they just needed to clinic to somewhere in South America.Canada.no other hope of getting eye care.stick with it.For more information, e-mail Agarwal at Some of the more common ailments theThis years clinic, set up in a local shelter,The following day it got much better. They sagarwal52@hotmail.com or visit www.icarein-clinic encountered included cataracts and a disor-offered numerous services to those in need.were a lot more comfortable with the testing, we ternational.ca.der called pterygium where a growth occurs onAN UNFORGETTABLE DINING EXPERIENCE AWAITS YOUEnjoy fi ne Chinese cuisine in an atmosphere with the perfect mix of elegance and exuberance.2 course DAILY lunchspecials starting from onlyThe French-language Catholic School Board now offers a multitude 95$of settlement services in the Peel/Halton region. These services are 8available to students and their families who have recently arrived as a way to ease their integration in our schools and in the community.Live Music Every Thursday Toll free : 1.800.274.3764Night Beginning at 6:30 pmwww.csdccs.edu.on.caFounded by2460 Neyagawa Blvd., #1, Oakville 905-338-1818 www.cynthiaschinese.comwww.insideHALTON.com OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, March 10, 2011 8