Churchill pilot project puts focus on eye care

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This article was published 18/10/2023 (726 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Churchill residents will see better eye care now, thanks to the recent installation of optometrist equipment to perform exams to fit glasses.

A pilot project between the Churchill Health Centre, Manitoba Association of Optometrists and University of Waterloo’s school of optometry/vision science has a dedicated space set up in the northern community’s hospital, with equipment donated by the Southern Ontario school.

Winnipeg optometrist Allison Van Dyck will fly to Churchill, located 1,000 kilometres north of the capital, for the first clinic Oct. 23-25.

“Access to care shouldn’t be dependent on where you live,” Van Dyck said in a statement Wednesday. “Having the equipment there and available makes these visits more doable.”

There have been other temporary eye clinics in Churchill (which has a population of roughly 900), but it required optometrists to bring their own equipment, resulting in the trips becoming expensive and difficult to plan.

“The nearest optometrist’s office is in Thompson, a 16-hour overnight train ride away, or they can fly to Winnipeg, which might be a $2,000 round trip,” said Jason Klainchar, CHC executive director.

“I’ve seen people in the community walking around with broken glasses, so there’s obviously a significant gap in services for this area.”

The clinic, which is already fully booked, will enable patients to be checked for both signs of eye disease, including glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, but also to get a prescription for glasses.

The organizing partners also hope to next have residents in nearby Indigenous communities either come to the clinic or have an optometrist travel to them.

“We’re hoping to use this model not only for northern Manitoba, but also for other northern and remote regions,” said Stanley Woo, director of the Waterloo optometry school.

“Ultimately, we’re working to make eye and vision care more accessible and equitable for all.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca