The three interns from the first group, accompanied by Dr. Cadet and Dr. Previl - Credit: Université d'État d'Haïti.

The Clinique Memorial de Cathy Pearson & Fortune Previl welcomes the graduating cohort of the UEH School of Optometry. Located in Quartier-Morin in the Nord Department, the clinic specializes in eye care services and is run by Every Eye Will See Him Ministries (http://www.eewshm.org/). During the internship, students will work together in small groups for four weeks to complete their university training and improve their clinical practice under supervision through a variety of organized activities.

The first interns, accompanied by Dr. Gérard Cadet (ophthalmologist), Director of the School of Optometry and Honorary Dean of the UEH, visited several mobile clinics. Under the supervision of Dr. Cadet and Dr. Luckson Prévil (optometrist), Founder and President of the Clinique Memorial, the students provided eye care (screening, glasses prescriptions and treatments) to over 220 patients, while also learning more about medical equipment and techniques such as indirect ophthalmoscopy, tonometry and visiometer refraction.

Mobile clinics are essential because they provide basic health care to people who don’t have easy access to medical services in their local communities. By practicing on patients, students can put the theoretical and practical knowledge they’ve learned throughout their training into practice.

Lastly, this project highlights the expertise of the School of Optometry of the Université de Montréal (EOUM), through the involvement of its academic head, Professor Luigi Bilotto, who supported this internship program for future optometrists in Haiti. The USI has also expressed interest in the areas of sustainable support, building local capacity and enhancing health-related human resources.

From left to right: Dr. Cadet teaching indirect eye ophthalmoscopy, intern supervised by Dr. Previl, pupil reflex assessment and visiometer refraction. Credit: Université d'État d'Haïti.

Additional information:

The goal of the optometry program in Haiti is to improve access to eye health services and refractive error treatment for Haitians, and to combat avoidable blindness and visual impairment. More specifically, it aims to:

1. Consolidate and establish an Academic Vision Center (AVC) at UEH to provide optometric care and training.

2. Increase the number of qualified optometrists providing high-quality eye care services to Haitians.

3. Promote and advocate for the creation of optometry positions in the public sector and the employment of optometrists by the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population to provide eye care services.

4. Support the sustainability of the training program by developing a Haitian faculty.

The project is being implemented by a consortium comprised of the Unité de santé internationale (USI), the School of Optometry of the Université de Montréal (EOUM), the Université d'État d'Haïti (UEH) and the Brien Holden Vision Institute Foundation (BHF). The project is funded by Optometry Giving Sight (OGS).