Restoring Sight International - Ophthalmological Foundation of the Philippines

"No Person Should Be Needlessly Blind"

Our Accomplishments The number of individuals who have benefited from its efforts since its founding in 1996 stand as evidence of RSI’s accomplishments through its support of OFPHIL. Here are some statistics for the period 1996 through 2008: Patient treatment visits:.................................................149,783 Surgeries performed:......................................................10,801 Diagnostic services delivered............................................8,793 Pediatric eye treatments...................................................1,369 Eyeglasses dispensed.......................................................1,230 Vision screeners trained......................................................782 Basic vision screening and eye care trainees........................184 IN THE UNITED STATES RSI has formed affiliations with: Children’s Hospital Boston Massachusetts Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons Tufts New England Eye Center IN BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS Since 2003 RSI has sponsored international fellowships in ophthalmology and has conducted School Nurse Training Programs to teach the nurses serving elementary schools to recognize eye problems and refer the children appropriately. An early grant was also awarded to a fully trained optometrist for advanced study in low vision
rehabilitation. All of these programs have been conducted under the aegis of ophthalmologists and hospitals affiliated with Harvard Medical School,Tufts Medical School or Boston University Medical School. International Fellows who are sponsored by RSI, upon completion of their studies, are required to return to their home country to provide a specified amount of pro bono eye care during the years folowing their return.This policy has extended RSI’s reach and will continue to do so in years to come.
A Need Fulfilled NEW EYE CENTER IN IFUGAO PROVINCE, NORTHERN LUZON In November, 2007,OFPHIL and the Provincial Government of Ifugao called RSI’s attention to an existing dire need to establish a permanent eye center to serve the population of Ifugao and surrounding provinces. The very high incidence of blindness in that area and the lack of remediating resources were known from experiences gained in outreach mission projects there which had been going on for several years. Responding to the call, RSI and OFPHIL sent a team consisting of Drs. Felipe I. Tolentino, Roland E. Houle, Flora L. Tolentino, and Jesse B. Caguioa, OD to conduct a site visit. In RSI’s Newsletter “Sightlines” for August 2008, the chosen location in the town of Alfonso Lista on the campus of the Ifugao College of Agriculture and Forestry (ISCAF) was announced. On January 26, 2009, a convocation was held in Alfonso Lista for the signing of an historic Memorandum of Agreement between OFPHIL (supported by RSI) and with ISCAF representing the Provincial Government of Ifugao. A ground breaking ceremony and the burial of a time capsule were included in the festivities which included officials of the Ifugao Provincial Government, Congressman Solomon Chungalao, ISCAF President Serafin Ngohayon, PhD, Joseph Odan, OD; several mayors of municipalities in Ifugao; officers and trustees of OFPHIL; officers and directors of RSI; and executives of the Lopez Group of Companies, all enthusiastic supporters of this project.
Initial funds for this project were obtained from the Ifugao Provincial Government and an allocation from the Philippine Congress through the efforts of Congressman Solomon Chungalao. Ground clearing, leveling and construction are already underway. The building itself is expected to be erected by the end of August, 2009 and operational by the end of 2009 or early 2010. This center will serve visually impaired poor persons in Ifugao and neighboring provinces in the Cagayan Valley where more than 40,000 suffer from cataract blindness. It will also serve as a training site
for students desiring to become eye assistants or technicians. Provincial Health Board Member Joseph Odan initiated this idea for such training with the support of Congressman Chungalao.
	OFPHIL and RSI will provide eye equipment, trained eye professionals, and management of the facility with the cooperation of ISCAF. The establishment of this new eye center is an historic event. For RSI it represents the largest commitment of resources that the organization has ever dedicated to a single project. It is the first OFPHIL/RSI eye care center outside of MetroManila. It will, without doubt, serve as a model for future chapters of RSI.
Other RSI Initiatives • Supported in 2003, the Visual Rehabilitation Fellowship of Jesse B.Caguioa, OD, Philippines, at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary • In 2003, created the Gift of Sight program conceived by Lourdes T. Percentie, former RSI Director. Program matches donors’ monetary gifts with indigent patients’ need for medicine, glasses, treatments or surgery. • Established The Roland E. Houle, MD International Pediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship initially funded by Lucy Lee, MD at Children’s Hospital Boston. Recipients have included: 2005-2006 – Norman Fajardo, MD, Philippines 2006-2007 – Yonina Ron, MD, Israel 2007-2008 – Christian Salgado, MD, Chile • Produced in 2007 its first major successful fund raiser at the Robsham Theater, Boston College, through the kindness of Rev. James Wood, SJ. The program featured special musical and dance presentations. • In 2008-2009, established The International Ophthalmology Research Fellowship with a bequest from James and Rita Chambos of Williamsville, NY awarded to Leonardo Castro, MD. in Retina Reserach, and his wife, Dinorah Castro, MD. in Glaucoma. The Future: Stem Cells People all over the world are excited about the potential benefits of stem cell therapy to cure, improve, or stabilize many human diseases and injuries that are presently without truly effective and satisfactory treatments. Many chronic blinding eye conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, retinal degenerations, retinal tumors, various dystrophies, glaucoma, and others could be appropriate targets for stem cell research and treatments. It is natural, then, that Restoring Sight International should have a keen interest in this subject and feel a powerful impetus to become involved in stem cell research. Utilizing our expertise, RSI has already begun to establish links with renowned stem cell scientists in the United States, seeking a productive and efficient collaboration to bring positive research results from laboratories to the actual clinical care of human patients. RSI will seek financial support for adult stem cell technology as it begins a grant-writing phase of development. The source of the stem cells will include dental pulp stem cells, umbilical cord blood stem cells, and stem cells obtained from bone marrow and peripheral blood. State of the art facilities for banking of stem cells are already in place in various parts of the world. Much work needs to be done in basic science to learn how best to “coax” these multi- potential cells into developing into the desired tissue/organ-specific cells that would be most likely to build and repair malfunctioning organs. The eye is ideal for the study of stem cells because the results of the damaging disease can be easily observed and objectively measured and the reparative processes can also be seen and measured. Adult stem cells have already been successful in treating organs other than the eye. While no one can predict when stem cell treatments may available for treating eye conditions, it could be within a relatively few years. It is reasonable to predict that many persons living now will benefit from using technology of this kind. It brings good hope to all of us.