PHNOM PENH: The National Eye Health Program of the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, The Fred Hollows Foundation, and other partners, organized a meeting on the implementation of a project to increase the scope of imaging services in Cambodia on Wednesday morning at Phnom Penh Hotel.

The two-day meeting aims to provide project partners (especially key staff and management) with an overview of the project, goals, budget, indicators, and project implementation reporting mechanisms.

On the second day of the meeting, participants from other organizations in the field of eye health will be invited to discuss in detail the operation of the vision center, other general operations, the financial system, the flow of funds, procurement and inventory to identify strengths, weaknesses, threats, opportunity, lessons and recommendations, so that an efficient and sustainable operating model can be established for the vision center.

In a welcoming report by the Director of the Fred Hollows Foundation Cambodia, Tokyo Bak, it was stated that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided funding at about US $2.1 million, through the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), for a project to promote eye examinations and spectacles through eye health programs in schools and vision centers in 16 capitals and provinces of Cambodia. The statement included that this provision of aid was being made to support the Royal Government of Cambodia in promoting eye health.

Director Tokyo Bak confirmed that the meeting held on Wednesday was to promote the launch of the project and increase the scope of eye health service in Cambodia. He said that the meeting aimed to find good mechanisms to ensure financial resources to provide measuring services to people with quality, equity and environment, raise awareness on eye health among citizens and students to increase the use of the eye health services and glasses-wearing, and promote getting regular eye examinations through eye health programs established at schools and vision centers.

The project is expected to provide glasses to about 80,000 children and 30,000 adults living below the poverty line in Cambodia.