The Fred Hollows Foundation has delivered more than $49,000 in equipment to the Kenya Medical Training College to improve its teaching facilities for eye care workers.

The equipment will be used to educate students from various disciplines, including cataract surgeons, ophthalmic nurses and low vision therapists.

Deputy Director, Academic Affairs, Franklin Okonji said; “We are sincerely grateful to The Foundation for investing in our institution.”

He said the gift of equipment would improve the institute’s ability to produce qualified and highly skilled eye care workers.

The donated equipment includes eight retinoscopes, eight rechargeable direct ophthalmoscopes, two indirect ophthalmoscopes, a teaching microscope and 11 sets of titanium cataract instruments.

The equipment will be used to teach students about the anatomy of the eye and the management of eye conditions like cataract, glaucoma and conjunctivitis.

The college is one of East Africa’s largest medical training facilities and has an annual intake of 30 students studying ophthalmic disciplines at its Nairobi campus. They come from countries including Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Namibia, South Sudan and Nigeria.

Graduates from the courses go on to work at eye units throughout Kenya, increasing the number of patients being treated.

The vast majority of Kenyans live in rural areas where there are not enough trained ophthalmic professionals to care for people’s eyes.

Last year, The Foundation trained 28 ophthalmologists and eye surgeons in Kenya, along with 324 clinic support staff and 2,684 community health workers.