About the International Eye Foundation
SightReach® Management in Action:
Blantyre Lions Eye Unit
Blantyre, Malawi, Africa 2003 to Today
The New Lions Eye Unit in Blantyre, Malawi serves six million people in the south of the country.
IEF first came to Malawi in 1975 to help build eye care services and start the Ophthalmic Medical Assistant Training Program. We worked with the only Malawian ophthalmologist, Dr. Moses Chirambo, and over the next 15 years, we sent seven ophthalmologists and their families to Malawi for 2 to 3 years at a time to treat people, do surgery, and train Malawian doctors. Together with the Malawi Ministry of Health, we are eliminating "river blindness" and reducing Vitamin A deficiency. Over the last four years, we put Malawi's two major eye hospitals on the road to financial sustainability with improved capacity, quality and management.
Lions SightFirst Eye Unit
The Lions SightFirst Eye Unit, the new eye department of the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, officially opened and transferred to the Ministry of Health in May 2004.
The new 80-bed hospital was built with $1.66 million in funding from the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), SightFirst Program. The Lions Club Blantyre, the Ministry of Health, and the International Eye Foundation also support the budget.
The older infrastructure was not convenient to patients, in much need of major repair, and could not allow increased patient volume, nor accommodate other complementary services necessary to support sustainability.
The new Blantyre Lions Eye Unit (BLEU) can accommodate a mixture of poor patients who can receive services free. There are also accommodations for paying patients who can choose to receive subsidized or full cost services. The new facilities include two operating theaters, wards, teaching facilities, offices, and an optical shop. IEF contributed by assisting the Lions Club Blantyre to secure the funding through the LCIF, procuring and shipping the equipment supported in the budget, and also financed and established the optical shop.
During the first five months of 2005, over 12,780 persons were examined, 966 surgeries were performed, and $44,283 was generated from paid optical services. The majority (93%) of all cataract surgery was provided free. The new BLEU is one of two major eye hospitals in Malawi and serves 6 million persons in the southern region.
"I can confirm that from the receptionists to the opticians, the service at the Eye Center is refreshingly polite and professional to all customers! Well done," says His Excellency Tony Kandiero, former Ambassador from Malawi to the USA, and IEF Honorary Board Member. [ Back to SRM ]
The IEF's blindness prevention and sight saving programs are funded by governmental, foundation, and corporate contributors, as well as individuals like you who generously donate online. Our website showcases our successes and our breadth of services to the developing world. Feel free to contact us with specific questions or requests. [ IEF Programs ]