By Bluffton Lion Barbara Plaugher
VOSH-Ohio Mission Coordinator

Tortola, British Virgin Islands, April 22-26, 2024__While providing an optometric mission into St. Maarten in 2023, a representative from Tortola asked if VOSH Ohio would also provide eye care for their students and some adults. We agreed and within a month from our St. Maarten clinic, VOSH Ohio received a formal invitation from Tortola BVI, signed by Lion Daphodil, stating their desire for a clinic to be held in the spring of 2024.

After Brenda, the VOSH Ohio president, asked me if I would like to coordinate this mission, due to her involvement with Costa Rica in February 2024, I quickly said “YES.”. Coordinating missions has been my passion since I first became involved in 1994.  This mission would be the 30th year of my participation. John Conrad, OD agreed to become the lead optometrist.

Early in the process of developing a mission I always ask our host if we can get through customs.  I worked with Lions Linda and Carlene. There have been teams unable to get through customs that have either turned around and gone home or that decided to spend their time on vacation in the country. 

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I never wanted this to happen to our team.  I was assured that customs would be taken care of by our Lions host.

I advertised for optometrists and received requests from 10 optometrists to join the team.  This clinic location was a drawing card, as the weather is always comfortable and lodging would be quite nice.  We have over the years attended many remote and undesirable locations for team comfort.

All plans were working well until I received the requirements for licensure of the optometrists with 23 pages of instructions. I was overwhelmed with the requirements and spoke through What’s App to my host about these. The instructions certainly are for a doctor wanting to go into practice permanently, not for five days of clinic. Our host went to the Allied Health Professional Council and explained the situation. I really wonder if this was the first time that a temporary license had been applied for. Anyway, the requirements were reduced to 10 items.  The docs would not have to acquire information from the FBI or their transcripts from college.  Note, some of our docs have retired, so transcripts from college seemed a bit of overkill. Even with fewer requirements, four of my optometrists declined to join. I was quite disappointed.

The six remaining ODs, John, Tom, Joan, Miki, Robin and Faye, chose to submit qualifications from a recognized institution, with registration current, in good standing with professional bodies, CV, police report, notarized government issued identification, character reference, complete the application form and send a current photo.

Filling in the team with non-medical members is much easier, especially if the members have been on previous missions. They become hooked!

I received an invitation into the country from the Ministry of Health and Social Development, thus assisting in obtaining eye medications. These were then ordered.

We continued to work with customs. An inventory of all glasses was prepared and packed to be carried with team members. Sun glasses for all patients were packed and shipped to Tortola prior to the team arriving. A list of equipment was developed for customs. A form describing the medications with retail value was prepared. Customs continued to ask for copies of all members' passports.  They asked for copies of each airline ticket with arrival and departure times. Values of all equipment, medications and glasses were established. I began to wonder if we were going to be able to get through customs, as late as two days before departure to the island. Then I was provided with legal stamped documents to carry through customs along with all items carried by our team members.

Names of all team members were provided for the U.S. Embassy STEP program.  This is a protective procedure and was used by our team in 2010 when we were in Haiti during the earthquake. We were assisted by the Embassy when trying to exit the country. Temporary missionary insurance was purchased, which has been used a few times over the years. We hoped not for this mission.

With instruments all charged up, we packed and got ready for an early 6:00 a.m. departure for eight of the team members from Columbus. Others came from airports in New Jersey, Michigan, Kentucky, Illinois and St. Maarten.  Our team lost two members due to a death in the family, so we ended up with 14 members for this mission. A little smaller team than usual. 

We arrived on Beef Island and were greeted by the British Virgin Islands tourist personnel and soon we saw the Tortola Lions, our host.  Beef Island is connected to Tortola by the Queen Elizabeth bridge. Traveling from Beef Island to Tortola, the largest and most populated island in the British Virgin Islands, we saw the most beautiful beaches and water views. We arrived at Maria’s by the Sea in Road Town for our lodging.  Most team members had views looking onto the Caribbean; however, not all of us!  We had great lodging and good meals.  We were treated quite well.  Our hosts were with us all during the clinic and responded to all the needs that would arise.

Our clinic was held at the huge Multi-Purpose Sports Complex, making it an ideal place to hold a clinic.  Registrations and acuities were completed by the Tortola Lions.  The Tortola Lions had prescreened many school children, prior to our arrival.  Those falling out of the criteria set need not attend this clinic.  This prescreening certainly helped eliminate multiple patients not needing eye care.  A darkened area was provided for the autorefractors and the patients then filed on to see the optometrists.  Eugene, Roger and Davey worked with the RetinaMax and Spot autorefractors.  The docs had two rooms available for their use, allowing the lighting to be dimmed as needed.  

 Our inventory of glasses for selection and fitting was available in the large room, along with the computerized ordering of glasses not provided from the inventory.  Darlene, Linda, Pat and Ron distributed and fit glasses.  Barbara ordered the computerized glasses.  Sun glasses were unpacked from our shipments and provided for all patients by Lorre.  Patients were so thankful for this opportunity to receive free eye care and we were thanked over and over.

The team was able to socialize during meal times either at the hotel or the sports complex for breakfast and lunch.  We were bused to the clinic in the morning and back to the hotel to get ready for the evening meal.    

Our first day of clinic, we saw 561 patients with lots of students being part of the total. Caring for adults takes more time with the optometrists. These students were bussed in from their schools in Tortola and surrounding islands. Clinics ran Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Thanks to our wonderful Lion hosts, we enjoyed dinner on Monday at Capriccio di Mare in Road Town,  and I got my fix of Italian.  Tuesday, we traveled a very scenic route past beaches, on curvy and twisting roads, to Coal Pot for delicious ribs and more.  Seeing the interesting foliage of the Sea Grape trees and flowers along the road, until it got dark.

Thursday, we traveled to Lion Simon’s home in the hills. Lion Simon worked every day at the clinic, assisting with traffic from the autorefractor area to see the docs. The team was overwhelmed at the beautiful home and the fabulous decoration of Simon’s home.  The views from the hill to the surrounding hills and viewing some of the 60 islands that consist of the British Virgin Islands was breath-taking.  Delicious food was prepared for the team and a great night of fellowship.

Friday, we had our evening meal and farewell presentations at a local restaurant.  A goody bag with Tortola souvenirs was given to each team member.  Some of the Lions team members gave out pins and a signed Ohio plaque was presented to the Tortola Lions.  A fun evening with new friends.

Our total of patients seen were 2,235.  There were 79 patients referred for cataracts, pterygium and other medical/surgical diagnoses for an ophthalmologist.  There were 295 patients diagnosed with myopia, 922 with hyperopia, 315 with astigmatism and 26 with presbyopia. 

Saturday the Lions provided a day of rest and relaxation for the team. Many Lion members, along with our team, took a ferry to Virgin Gorda, so named by Christopher Columbus as he viewed the rocks that looked like a woman lying on the beach. We visited the Greater Bath National Park with its beautiful beaches. The granite megaliths at the Baths made it a gorgeous place to visit. The walk to the Baths was rather tedious, to say the least. However, when you arrived, it was well worth it.  Our bus driver pointed out points of interest on the island; one area was a copper mine and team members picked up rocks for those of us who are rock collectors.  Lunch was exceptional with live music to entertain the team. We spent a most enjoyable day and traveled back by ferry.

Sunday saw many team members leaving for home.  A few members stayed over for another day or two to enjoy the wonderful weather and beautiful scenery of Tortola BVI.

This was a successful mission. The team left with thoughts that they will consider another mission in the future, the patients were well pleased and the Tortola Lions did such a wonderful job of advertising the clinic and providing patients for the team. A well-planned mission by our hosts, clearly much needed when we look at the diagnoses and need for glasses. I feel privileged to have coordinated this mission into Tortola, a beautiful island with such hospitable and lovely people.

There were 319 pairs of special glasses made free-of-charge from Essilor Luxottica Foundation which are in the process of being shipped back to Tortola for the Lions to distribute to the appropriate patients.  Many of these were for astigmatism.  Total number of glasses taken from the VOSH inventory that were given out to the needy on Tortola is approximately 1,558.  This excludes the specials that are yet to be shipped.

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