Eye center opens in Indonesia

Bandung, Indonesia-The first ophthalmology training center developed as part of an effort to eliminate preventable blindness in the world by 2020 has opened at Cicendo Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia.

Michael Kaschke, MD, director of Carl Zeiss AG and chairman of the supervisory board of Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, and Gullapalli N. Rao, MD, president of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, officially opened the facility last month as part of the Vision 2020 initiative.

The ophthalmology center is funded in part by a $200,000 donation from Carl Zeiss. The money will be used to train staff and provide equipment. The company also donated several systems for diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare, including slit lamps, treatment lasers, and a surgical microscope.

Blindness remains a major problem in Indonesia, where the rates have increased from 1.2% in 1978 to 1.5% in 1996. The main cause of blindness is cataracts, which afflicts 1.4 million Indonesians.

Carl Zeiss has committed to supporting the launches of four additional training centers within the next 5 years.