The eye mobile project is a welcome innovative project of the Lirot Association
for the promotion of public awareness of the importance of preventive care in
order to reduce the number of people affected by eye diseases in Israel.
The eye mobile project conducts comprehensive eye examinations throughout
Israel for the needy elderly who are unable to come to the medical centers
where the tests are being performed due to their poor physical or financial
condition. The project’s main goal is to locate these elderly people and to
prevent eye diseases they could develop which can possibly lead to blindness.
In each mobile vehicle, there are a doctor and an optometrist performing the
eye and the vision tests to the elderly of the community it is equipped with the
most up-to-date medical and optical equipment for conducting the
examinations in the community, arriving at daycare centers, community
centers, assisted living centers, etc.
During its first six months of activity, over 600 eye examinations were
performed among various communities, such as Ethiopian immigrants in
Hadera, the religious community in Bnei Brak, Bedouins in the Misgav area,
the elderly in daycare centers located in Rishon Lezion, and those from the
age of 65 in the Maccabi Health Services in Bat Yam, including those whom
had not been examined for at least ten years and were unaware of the
necessity of being tested.
The findings so far, to our great concern, is that many of the elderly tested
require medical monitoring due to severe chronicle diseases, such as diabetes
and hypertension, which are known to be a high risk for affecting vision. Some
of these people have not been followed up for years and are in need of cataract
operations; others suffer from macular degeneration or glaucoma.
Until now, we have found about ten cases of severely neglected people who
were immediately sent to the emergency room in order to receive urgent
treatment to prevent their becoming blind.
I would especially like to point out the eye mobile project among the Bedouin
elderly in Misgav in the north.
I wish to quote Michal, the director of social services in Misgav:
“Attaining access to eye examinations for the elderly Bedouins is of the
greatest importance, especially due to the low awareness among this
population who suffers from a high rate of chronicle diseases, such as diabetes
and hypertension. According to the examining doctor, the percentage of
patients tested who were identified with pathological findings and were
referred to further treatment is extremely high. Moreover, 100% of all the
elderly need eyeglasses, and most of them were not aware of this.
Medical monitoring, correct treatment, and adjusting eyeglasses may prevent
blindness and improve their functioning and their self-image to a high
degree”.
The eye mobile project is carried out in cooperation with the Israeli Social
Security and the health services under the professional direction of Dr. Dov
Weinberger, director of the ophthalmology department in the Rabin Medical
Center and Dr. Anat Robinson, the clinic director.
In the Maccabi Health Services, Dr. Hanny Verbin, in charge of
ophthalmological medicine, also participates in this project and takes this
opportunity to invite all members from the age of 65 who have not been
monitored to come to be examined (the compliance rate is impressive).
Commemorating 5 years of the “eye-care mobile unit” project for examining the elderly and Holocaust survivors, under the managment of Mr. Tzidkiyahu Baruch, Project Manager.
