The University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is making efforts to contribute to hurricane relief projects by sending medical support to the Mississippi and Louisiana areas that were affected by Hurricane Katrina. The 40-foot bus will travel fully equipped with prescription glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses and a number of other eye care essentials. The purpose of the trip will be to attend to the medial necessities of those individuals who are unable to see an optimologist during this crisis. The items will be distributed on a need basis without cost.
In addition to supplying eye care products, there will be several doctors available for consultation and treatment aboard the “vision van,” as it is being called. The converted automobile boasts of an exam room, three screening rooms and state of the art equipment to meet the needs of the patients.
The specialized relief group will stay a minimum of two weeks in the Gulf area in an attempt to resolve any medical problems that the victims may be experiencing.
This is the first large-scale endeavor for the mobile group, which was made possible by the Josephine Leiser Foundation’s contribution of the RV last year.