Cataract Chronicles-25 years
As I celebrate my 25th year volunteering as an eye surgeon in Southeast Asia. I am delighted to share photos and stories about the vision challenges and the people and cultures of India, Nepal, Cambodia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. - Dr. Gary Barth
Chronicle 20 - Poor countries with weak currencies lack access to Excellent Medical Equipment
As a volunteer surgeon with Seva Foundation, I had arranged to travel to Cambodia for several weeks. My role as a second eye surgeon at the Battambang Eye Clinic depended on adequate surgical equipment to perform cataract surgery.
The clinic only owned one operating microscope, a donated used Olympus surgical microscope.
The clinic lacked the Japanese Olympus surgical bulb required to make it work well. The Cambodians could not purchase the appropriate bulb since the Cambodian riel was not a convertible currency in Japan. Furthermore, exchanges to Western currencies were controlled by the Cambodian central government.
My family and an Oakland Rotary donor team volunteered to raise the money to purchase the much-needed well-functioning surgical microscope for cataract surgery.
We were told it had to be a Chinese-manufactured microscope since Chinese vendors accepted their currency for future parts and services.
I used the new microscope scope daily; it was significantly better than the used Japanese Olympus microscope with second-rate lighting.
Some poor Asian countries, such as Nepal, no longer accept used medical equipment.
They, like Cambodia, encourage donors to purchase equipment that can be paid for and serviced. I agree with Nepal and Cambodia’s policy.
