It’s a quiet Northern Ontario success story that doesn’t see a lot of accolades, but it goes a long way to helping people see well.
The CNIB’s Medical Mobile Care Unit has been upgraded and will be soon be hitting the highways to bring ophthalmology services to thousands of people in small communities across the North. The newly upgraded CNIB Eye Van was on display at its home base in Sudbury this week.
“Today is the launch of our fifth-generation eye van,” said Monique Pilkington on Wednesday. She is the national director of the CNIB eye van program and said the CNIB was pleased to show off its latest technology that is installed in the new 53-foot tractor-trailer that takes to the road this Sunday.
The eye van will be touring communities through Northeastern Ontario. The van is due to arrive in Englehart on Monday. Pilkington said one of the benefits is better online connectivity that will allow doctors working in the van to review test results in real time.
The $685,000 program is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, along with assistance from community volunteers and service clubs across the North.
As the mobile clinic tours through the North, the CNIB has partnered with a group of 25 ophthalmologists to work in the van at various times, along with two dedicated nurses. She said the doctors are able to conduct vision exams, treat eye conditions, perform minor surgeries, and offer much-needed medical advice and information about eye health. Nearly 90 per cent of the patients screened on the CNIB Eye Van are monitored for eye conditions that could lead to blindness, if left untreated, said Pilkington.
“Without this program, people just wouldn’t have access to ophthalmologists. And we know that in a lot of cases, people just would not leave their communities to travel for vision care. And that would mean that a lot of people would lose their vision,” said Pilkington.
She said during the spring, the eye van is usually touring northeastern Ontario. During July and August, it moves to service remote communities across northwestern Ontario. In the fall, the van usually visits communities along the north shore of Lake Superior.
“The need is huge. We see over 4,500 people every year in 30 different communities across Northern Ontario,” said Pilkington.
She said the crew consisting of a driver and two nurses are on the road each year from March through to November.
“Typically our nurses become Class-AZ truck drivers,” she added, and gave credit to Manitoulin Transport for its driver training program.
