Any aid that comes in the form of specialised health care to the Sahrawi refugee camps is always very welcome. More hands, more eye examinations, more eyes open to the world.
Dr. Elisabeth Velázquez Olivares arrived in the camps three months ago as part of the Cuban medical brigade working at the Rabuni National Hospital. And as she has a degree in general medicine and a diploma in ophthalmology, she offered to collaborate with the Eyes of the world project and the national ophthalmology department.
Since the beginning of July, Dr. Velázquez has been working two days a week at the ophthalmology centre of the Rabuni National Hospital, alongside the optometrists and nursing staff, to carry out consultations on all types of pathologies, take care of referrals to the hospital in the wilaya of Bechar, and supervise the surgical follow-up and the evolution of the operations carried out.
In addition, with its arrival, Eyes of the world has also been able to start the process of digitalisation of the national hospital, which will allow for better management and coordination of eye care in the area.
The Eyes of the Sahara project is funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).