Club Does Screenings For 700 In Labasa

The Lions Club Labasa conducted health screening to more than 700 people at the recent Vodafone Festival of the Friendly North. According to Lions club project director Hazeem Hussain, they sold sunglasses to generate revenue to be invested to the project. Earlier, the Lions Club had visited villages and communities before the weeklong Northern fete.

“Our outreach programme started in July and we screened more than 10 villages and communities in Cakaudrove, Bua and Macuata in Kubulau, Korovatu, Wainunu, Sagani, Tawake, Lagi, Vunivutu, Wainikoro, Seaqaqa, Dreketi, Visoqo, Dogotuki, Coqeloa, Nukusa and other communities,” Mr Hussain said. Vodafone ATH Fiji Foundation executive officer Ambalika Devi on Friday confirmed that the foundation has in the last 10 years invested over $500,000 specifically on non-communicable diseases screening and controlling blindness. This was revealed when the Foundation gave $20,272 to the Labasa-based Lions Club for their projects which included NCD screening and partnership with audiologists. Lions Club President Mohammed Rizwan said the team spent $250,000 on the services which included distribution of eye glasses to more than 3600 patients, 700 sunglasses and 50 eye surgeries.

“The screening was conducted by a nine member Volunteer Ophthalmic Services Overseas (VOSO) team from New Zealand that consisted of five opthomologists, optometrists, two surgeons and two Lions NZ members,” he said.

“In the last decade, the partnership saw on average $10 million worth of services provided. These include screenings, preventing blindness, surgical procedures, advanced eye ailments and free eye and sunglasses,” Vodafone ATH’s Ambalika Devi said. “In a bid to improve the lives of the Fijian people and mooting change for development capacity building programme to be on par with global trends, the Vodafone ATH Fiji Foundation continues to back programmes that upskill communities.”