In a matter of weeks, laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy which is sight threatening complications caused by uncontrolled diabetes, will begin at the Ophthalmology Clinic at the Mandeville Regional Hospital.

The announcement comes on the heels of the visit of Chief Executive of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, Dr. Astrid Bonfield to the Clinic on May 31. The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust which is a charitable foundation established in 2012 to mark and celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s sixty-year contribution to the Commonwealth, provided funding for several equipment at the Ophthalmology Clinic for the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy.

Preparations are being made to begin the services in July for persons who need laser therapy due to Diabetic Retinopathy which can cause blindness or complicated vision.

Dr. Bonfield who is visiting Jamaica for the first time noted that she was impressed by the work that has been done at the Ophthalmology Clinic. “It is exciting to see how the Clinic has been set up and the determination of the staff in providing services for the local population” she added.

She was given a firsthand look at the how Phase 1 of the Caribbean Diabetic Retinopathy Screening and Treatment Project in Jamaica is being implemented in the southern region. Clinics have been established at the Mandeville Regional and Black River Hospitals, the Manchester Comprehensive Clinic with plans being made for a Clinic at the May Pen Hospital.

In January, an Ophthalmology Clinic and Operating Theatre was officially opened at the Mandeville Regional Hospital valued at J$88.85 million.