VOSH-SE Nicaragua mission trip February 9-19, 2018

Basic Nicaragua organized an optical mission to Chinandega Nicaragua from February 9h to 19th 2018. We had four Optometrists, one Optician and five lay volunteers participating.

The team had four clinic days and saw a total of 862 patients. The patients’ ages ranged from 3 years to 92 years old. There was a wide range of pathology seen with the majority being cataract and pterigium. There were 97 patients referred to Foniprece Ophthalmology Clinic of which 14 patients were scheduled for surgery with another 42 on a waiting list until funding is found.

The team dispensed 775 pairs of spectacles from our stock and a few prescriptions were custom made by our lab.

We took donated pharmaceuticals with us from Alcon, Bausch and Lomb and Allergan. The left over medication was donated to Foniprece.

Submitted by:
Greg Moloney OD

Report of Nicaragua mission trip October 16-21, 2018

On April 18, 2018, the country of Nicaragua changed forever. Protests began when demonstrators in several cities of Nicaragua began protests against the social security reforms decreed by President Daniel Ortega that increased taxes and decreased benefits. After five days of unrest in which nearly thirty people were killed, Ortega announced the cancellation of the reforms. However, the opposition has grown – through the 2013–2018 Nicaraguan protests – to denounce Ortega and demand his resignation, becoming one of the largest protests in his government’s history and the deadliest civil conflict since the end of the Nicaraguan Revolution.  As the hundredth day of protests began on 27 July 2018, a total of 448 had been killed over the period of the protests. On 29 September 2018, political demonstrations were declared illegal by President Ortega. Anyone who is caught speaking against the government is now arrested with an automatic 100 year life sentence.

As a result of this political unrest, all mission teams, tourism and NGO assistance was canceled and foreigners left the country. By October, BASIC felt they needed to visit to assess the situation. Four veteran mission-goers visited for 6 days, seeing what the true situation is. Most of the time was focused on buying, assembling and distributing food packs to families in need due to harsh unemployment. Many cities still have hotspots for violence. Chinandega is in a much better physical and non-volatile situation. BASIC will be returning to Nicaragua in February for their next construction trip but vision clinics will be on a hiatus until further notice. Because vision clinics require registry with the Ministry of Health, it is not favorable to administer health care at this time. The government is in a very fragile situation. Until the governmental structure changes, vision clinics are not viable.

BASIC Nicaragua and VOSH Southeast partnership

Since 2004, VOSH Southeast and BASIC Nicaragua have been partnering together in Nicaragua.

In 2019, we will be celebrating 15 years of partnership and success. During this time, we have accomplished these awesome things together:

• 25 vision clinics held in 25 different locations around the country
• served 18,698 patients in vision clinics
• dispensed 20,379 pairs of glasses
• 57 optometry students have shadowed licensed optometrists in clinics
• 59 different optometrists have participated in vision clinics
• 71 cataract and pterygium surgeries completed

BASIC Nicaragua optical lab

BASIC Nicaragua moved in to a permanent optical lab and storage facility in 2018, wholly owned by BASIC. Franklin Martinez, our trained optician, has done an amazing job making quality spherical glasses for several years. Our inventory of glasses is now over 5,000 pair. Due to the economy and lack of vision clinics in the country, we have had to temporarily lay him off. Once vision mission teams return to Nicaragua, we plan to re-open the optical lab again.

BASIC Nicaragua and Foniprece partnership

Since 2015 BASIC and VOSH Southeast has been partnering with Foniprece (La Fundacion Oftalmologica Nicaraguense para la prevencion de la ceguerain) in Managua. Their foundation is able to deeply discount eye surgeries to help the impoverished people of Nicaragua. Foniprece has 3 full-time opthalmologists who perform the surgeries.

Foniprece has received IOL’s and donated medications from BASIC’s brigades.  This has helped offset the costs that need to be fundraised for each patient. BASIC and VOSH Southeast was able to provide transportation, lodging, surgery and follow-up care for 71 patients to date. 47 are still on a waiting list as we try to source funding.

Starting in February 2018, Foniprece became the official host of BASIC Nicaragua and VOSH Southeast for registering with MINSA (Ministry of Health). This is a true partnership and solidifies the relationship we have been building. Foniprece partners with all other VOSH chapters in Nicaragua for surgical referrals and the Optometry School in Managua.