Fred Hollows once opened eyes to the world now his legacy is bringing world-leading eye technology to Wellington and other nearby centres.
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A Digital Retinography System (DRS) camera at WACHS will cut through a months' long process to ensure patients can have their retinal scans looked at overnight by an eye health specialist in Sydney.
Previously a patient would be referred to a specialist, now WACHS can deliver the images digitally to Sydney using a world-leading portable camera in places like Gulargambone, Warren, Nyngan and Coonabarabran.
Eye Health co-ordinator Pauline Wicks said this was vital for patients with diabetes who needed regular checks.
The camera has arrived in Wellington. It was won by WACHS late last year when they received the Fred Hollows Foundation Eye health award in recognition for the service they offer communities as well as their understanding of the importance of eye health in Aboriginal communities.
"We were at the NACCHO (National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health) conference in Melbourne and saw a flyer, and I said we are going to win this," Ms Wicks said.
When she and Kath Richards made their application it was their years' long dedication to eye health that saw WACHS recognised with the Fred Hollows award.
"When we first started we delivered services to seven communities, now we deliver services to 23 and we'regiving opportunities to access services that people wouldn't normally," Ms Wicks said.
They also go into schools and colleges in the central west.
Now, the world-leading camera assists with increased screening and early detection of diabetic retinopathy at the primary health care level by incorporating annual checks into the diabetes health check and chronic disease.
The Fred Hollows Foundation says Aboriginal adults are six times more likely than other Australians to go blind and 94 per cent of vision loss among adults is preventable or treatable.
CEO Melissa Mills says this will mean big thingsfor the elderly and young people.
"It has a flow on effect, it affects a lot of people, especially kids and from there you see an improvement in their literacy and numeracy," she said.
Ms Wicks said whether it was giving someone glasses or sending someone to the specialist to monitor their diabetes, it was very rewarding."
It is seeing the results at the end and knowing you are actually helping people," she said.
"It is very rewarding and it is life-changing for some people."
Ms Wicks said WACHS GPs and Healthy for Life staff had been trained on the machine and that it was there for the whole region.