Optometry Giving Sight funds optical aid in Peru

Vision for the Poor received a $43,000 grant from Optometry Giving Sight to aid the Divino Nino Jesus Eye hospital in Lima, Peru, according to a company representative.

Vision for the Poor began working with the Divino Nino Jesus (DNJ) Eye hospital in 2013 to increase patient capacity from 35,000 patients per year to 60,000.

“DNJ is a social service eye hospital that provides access to eye and vision care services for the poorest people of Lima,” Doug Villella, OD, founder of Vision for the Poor, said in a press release. “Demand for DNJ services has steadily increased, and a need for more clinic space and an optical service was needed. In 2014 Vision for the Poor funded the addition of 1,800 square feet of clinical space, and the grant from Optometry Giving Sight funded the optical service, which is located in the new space.”

The now-operational optical lab is expected to provide 8,000 new eye glasses to poor patients treated at the DNJ facilities in Lima and the Amazon rainforest region over the coming year, according to the release.

“Based on our experience in other facilities, patient satisfaction results in a higher number of patient referrals,” Villella said. “The increased capacity provides for a higher ratio of paying to non-paying patients, which adds revenue and ultimately a profitable service.”