The Armenian EyeCare Project’s Mobile Eye Hospital started its regular activities in the city of Talin in March of this year but unfortunately it had to stop after several days of operation due to COVID-19 restrictions. Patients have had to wait four long months for the Mobile Eye Hospital to reopen. But thankfully that moment is finally here.
“There were patients with different diseases and the diseases can’t wait,” Dr. Lilit Karapetyan, an ophthalmologist on the Mobile Eye Hospital said. “It was important to restart the work. And the patients were looking forward to receiving treatment.”
“The plan was to perform my surgery on March 11,” one patient, Victoria Hambardzumyan, said. “But because of COVID-19 it was postponed.”
As our Mobile Eye Hospital now restarts its operations, all necessary precautions are in place to protect both doctors and patients while we provide much-needed eye care services to Armenia’s population.
“We have decreased the number of patients who we examine daily to be able to complete one exam and only then to invite the next patient,” Dr. Karapetyan said. “Our team works with great love, in a well-organized way, and the patients follow all our instructions.”
Now, the Mobile Eye Hospital has begun to accept patients once again who are ready for their surgeries.
“I came to see the doctor and the surgery started,” one patient who recently received his cataract surgery, Seriozha Igityan, said. “I didn’t feel any pain… My only feeling was the good vision afterwords. I was surprised and thought ‘Is this possible?'”
“As other patients say the surgery went well, we are also hoping for a good result,” Susanna Gasparyan says. Her husband is scheduled to have his surgery very soon.
“Everyone is satisfied,” Susanna’s husband, Anushavan, says. “Everything is free of charge. They come in, they get treatment and they leave. There is nothing better!”
The need for the Mobile Eye Hospital in the regions of Armenia is always high. For the socially vulnerable population living in the remote regions of the country, it is the only opportunity to get full-fledged eye care services.
“If it wasn’t for the Armenian EyeCare Project, how could we afford the treatment?” Victoria says. “We need money to do it. Is it possible to do when you’re living off of 40,000 Drams?” That is just $82 per month.
“I would be urged to sit at home hopeless and wait for chance,” Seriozha adds.
Now as the Mobile Eye Hospital restarts its services, Armenia’s most vulnerable population will have access to eye care at no cost once more. They will also have hope and of course the gift of sight.
“I will go home happy as I know I am cured,” Anushavan says. “I can see and I can walk.”
“There is nothing more valuable than eyesight,” Susanna says.
We can’t help but agree and are thrilled we are able to restart our sight-saving services for people in need throughout Armenia!
