Medical Outreach Programs
This program provides free eye care for the local residents in nearby and remote communities. General examinations are given and if needed eyeglasses are distributed. The eye care program is supported by Dr. Henning Friedrich and by Unite for Sight, a non-profit foundation from the United States.
Dr. Henning Friedrich is an optometrist from Norway, who helps in his individual capacity to provide funding for children needing further eye consultation or surgery in Bangkok as the local hospital in Huay Malay is not equipped for doing surgery for Children. More than ten non-Thai children who have either received treatment or surgery in Bangkok Children’s Hospital and still several awaiting appointment for surgery.
Unite for Sight initiated the program in the area and approached Ananda Vidyadharma to coordinate the program. They have provided Ananda Vidyadharma with the necessary equipment for performing the examinations, and also help with arranging the volunteers and the eye-operations. Ananda Vidyadharma helps the volunteers with reaching the villages, examinations and lodging. Glasses for reading and distance are provided by the volunteers.
Volunteer optometrists and ophthalmologists come every few months to do additional examinations and to perform surgeries as needed. In the Sangklaburi area, the major eye problems are pterygium and cataracts, as well as minor traumas.
Thusfar, 17 villages and the city of Sangklaburi have received services from this program. Approximately 12,000 examinations and over 50 major surgeries have been provided.
Pictures can be seen here.
Many villages around the border of Thailand and Burma lack even the most basic health care services. To meet the medical needs of the children in these areas information is being gathered to prepare a medical outreach program run by Baan Dada Children’s Home along with the help of The Dragonfly Community Foundation, and volunteer medics.
Many people in this remote region are fleeing the situation in Burma. Most have no paperwork and therefore are not entitled to health care even if they could make it to a hospital. This project will be an essential life line to many people.
Trained local medics together with volunteers and volunteer doctors will work together to reach remote areas in need of medical care, especially for children needing basic immunisations. We’ve also started research into a program to provide HIV anti-virals to those in need. We will also provide health, nutritional and basic sanitation education for the villagers.
The program is scheduled to begin September 08, and will be continued on a permanent basis. At the moment we are finalising our research and gathering supplies, and training staff. We still need many things for this to happen. We need your help!
What we need:
Note-Buying medical supplies in Thailand will most likely be cheaper than in your home country. If you are planning on visiting perhaps it would be better to buy supplies here or to send money as it would also save on shipping costs.
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Health Awareness Projects
This program seeks to promote the awareness of various health issues. Yearly events are organized around a certain theme, including yoga, HIV/AIDS, and drug awareness. Theatre, music and games are the primary tools of education used at these events, as well as informational posters.
Pictures for the Health Awareness Projects are here.