County optometrist saving sight in Guyana

It is not every day a Shropshire-born optometrist arrives at work by dugout canoe.

But it is the preferred method of transport for a former Church Stretton woman who is dedicated to helping develop better eye care for people in a remote south American country.

Angela Reading, who grew up in Little Stretton and attended Church Stretton School, is currently spending two years in Guyana as an optometrist.

She said: "I contacted Voluntary Service Overseas and was offered a position on a two-year contract as an optometrist in Guyana."

Although Guyana is a small country there are many very inaccessible areas due to the forested terrain and lack of roads and transport systems. Many villages are accessible only by boat or plane. Angela said: "I work at the public hospitals in Georgetown and in the regions. There is no optometry training available in Guyana and only five qualified optometrists in the whole country.

"Most people do not have access to eye examinations, and many who do are seen by unqualified practitioners who are not able to detect glaucoma. Remote regions, which may be a day or more travel away from the capital, do not have any eye care services.

"We are working to supply these regions with 'refractionists' who, while not at optometrist level, are able to provide affordable spectacles and detect eye disease, in particular glaucoma. Most of my time is spent training refractionists so that eye care services are sustainable."

She said: "Glaucoma is especially prevalent in Afro-Guyanese people. Soon after my arrival I taught a glaucoma detection module for all the refractionists so that their knowledge has increased in this area in particular."