Another indicator that things are getting back to normal after Covid-19 is the news that VOSH-Connecticut (CT) will be returning to San Juan del Sur for their 21st annual eye clinic mission in the early part of next month, January, 2023.
As usual the Public School in the south east corner of SJdS, Barrio Luis Arroyo (Centro Escolar Enmanuel Mongalo y Rubio) will be the location for the four day clinic from Monday 9th of January to Thursday 12th of January 2023.
Daily Clinic Hours are 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
VOSH –CT will be conducting eye exams, giving out eyeglasses and also a pair of sunglasses to as many people as they can!
The last VOSH-Connecticut mission to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua was in January 2020. This was the seventeenth VOSH-Connecticut annual eye care clinic in San Juan del Sur and the twentieth year of service in total, the first three being under the VOSH-NECO.
During the last (Pre-Covid) four day clinic, 4,013 patients were attended to. The daily stats were; Monday 1,058/Tuesday 1,161/Wednesday 1,032/Thursday 762
After the 2020 mission, the Covid-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of the 2021 and 2022 trips to San Juan del Sur.
The eye clinic mission is managed by Optometrist Dr. Matthew Blondin and his wife, Clinic Director Audrey “La Jefa” Blondin (“The Boss”) from Torrington, Connecticut, USA. They are joined by Optometrists, Opticians, Dispensary Assistants, Pre-Testing Assistants as well as many Volunteer Students from University Optometry from the USA.
Local support is coordinated by Doctor Rose Elena Bello from San Juan del Sur. Dra. Bello organizes bi-lingual translators to assist with the examinations and many other volunteers help the mission by serving food and refreshments or with crowd control and transport.
VOSH – Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity International
VOSH is one of the largest optometry and lay volunteer humanitarian nonprofits in the world. VOSH/International and VOSH Chapters (such as VOSH Connecticut – CT) are volunteers. That means that those who come on a clinic trip take time away from their jobs and families, pay their own expenses, including airfare and lodging, as well as other expenses.
