On March 15, the management of USAID/AECP Center of Excellence for Prevention of Childhood Blindness (CEPCB) program visited Gyumri with an important mission.

The Austrian Hospital of Gyumri received free-of –charge “Clarity” retinal camera (RetCam).
 

Now, it will be possible to perform eye screening for infants in Gyumri and Shirak region and prevent children from going blind caused by retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Prior to this action, Lernuhi Mikaelyan, the pediatric ophthalmologist of the Austrian Hospital passed a specialized training in Yerevan, at Malayan Ophthalmological Center, where she learned how to operate the RetCam and examine infants.

L. Mikaelyan will be the only expert with this specialty in Shirak. She will start working with full schedule very soon.  Along with the RetCam, the CEPCB ROP program coordinator, Dr. Ruzanna Haroutyunyan, passed to her Gyumri colleague public education brochures on ROP for parents, as well as, necessary medication and supplementary medical equipment.

Dr. Hrant Kalenteryan, RA Chief Anesthesiologist and Resuscitator, also participated in the visit. He met several local ophthalmologists and neonatologist to present currently used methods of neonatal care related to prevention of ROP and childhood blindness.

Thanks to this initiative, it will be possible to perform eye screening for infants in Shirak without visiting Yerevan.

The donation of the RetCam was made possible through the assistance of USAID and “Gebauer” Swiss foundation.

The Austrian Hospital of Gyumri received also a pulse-oxymeter donated by Burn’s Committee.