In September Dr Guy D’Mellow spent a week in Cambodia teaching four local ophthalmologists as part of a Sight For All Glaucoma Fellowship.

Sight For  All is a small charity organisation that runs subspecialty ophthalmology programmes in several Asian countries. Volunteers from around Australia spend one week a month over a 12 month programme delivering a comprehensive curriculum, in this instance on Glaucoma.

Sight For All aims to upskill ophthalmologists in areas such as paediatrics, oculoplastics, retina & glaucoma within the limits of their own available resources and to identify gaps in existing treatments. This involves direct patient teaching in outpatient clinics as well as surgical instruction and formal lectures.

Two ophthalmologists from the capital Phnom Penh and two from rural centres were involved. One of the latter had to travel 10 hours overnight to attend. A wide range of severe glaucoma was treated; Congential glaucomas, Uveitic, Trauma, and Angle closure glaucomas.

There have been significant improvements in both facilities and standard of care compared with his last visit 5 years ago. Unfortunately though it is saddening to still see patients presenting with end stage disease, particularly steroid induced glaucoma.

Dr D’Mellow is looking forward to continuing contact and mentoring with my Cambodian colleagues