Detecting glaucoma in Myanmar with iCare tonometer

Bamaw Hospital, Kachin State, Myanmar

Bamaw Hospital is located in Kachin State, the northern most Province in Myanmar. The remote State has been the subject of civil unrest for many years and access is limited, with air travel often the only safe and available mode of transportation. Due to its location, and the spread of population, Bamaw Hospital has also historically received less support from the Ministry of Health and from NGO funding.

Sister A Kham has been working at Bamaw Hospital for a number of years and over her tenure she has seen a decline in doctors on the wards, who can provide on going care for patients.

In May 2019, Sight For All donated to Bamaw Hospital the iCare tonometer from iCare Finland. Sister A Kham was instructed on how to correctly use the equipment for the diagnose of glaucoma patients by Sight For All Visionaries. Accurate and easy to use, the iCare tonometer has been extremely useful to screen intra-ocular pressure of patients in the region, reducing referral times and producing precise data on patient eye health.

Sister A Kham, along with two ophthalmologists are looking forward to continue screening patients to early diagnose and treat glaucoma and prevent blindness from this avoidable condition in the Province.

Shedding new light on glaucoma

Suffering from pain in her right eye, Daw Yee Yee Aye (pictured above) 54, attended Thingangyun General Hospital in Myanmar in early 2019. She was examined by hospital ophthalmologists using eye health equipment provided by Sight For All including the iCare tonometer from iCare Finland.

The tests confirmed a build-up of pressure in her right eye and further examination by the doctors diagnosed her condition as Glaucoma. Though she had not heard of the disease, her ophthalmologists explained that Daw Yee Yee would need regular eye –pressure tests and ongoing treatment to manage the condition. Daw was impressed on how easy they measure the intra-oucular pressure with the hand held iCare device.

The tests confirmed a build-up of pressure in her right eye and further examination by the doctors diagnosed her condition as Glaucoma. Though she had not heard of the disease, her ophthalmologists explained that Daw Yee Yee would need regular eye –pressure tests and ongoing treatment to manage the condition. Daw was impressed on how easy they measure the intra-oucular pressure with the hand held iCare device.