AN optician has helped to save the sight of over a thousand people on her latest visit to remote parts of Africa.
In her day job Ruth Perrott is the managing director of VisionCare Optometry in Acomb, York, but in her own time she has visited Africa 14 times to run free clinics which have helped restore the sight of thousands of people.
Her latest trip to Malawi alongside fellow optometrist Sarah Dineen, saw the pair assess 1,318 patients in four makeshift clinics, dispensing 1,051 pairs of glasses.
Ruth and others drove 1,324 kilometres over three days, bumping between rural locations, often on unmade roads.
She said: “Some of the men, especially fishermen and farmers, had particularly poor vision following years of intense UV exposure. They could barely see more than a metre in front of their noses.”
“When your eyesight is that poor, a pair of spectacles is going to have a profound impact.”
For more information on Ruth’s trip watch http://youtu.be/08dVb8HdmFA
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here