Big smiles and brighter eyes in the Philippines

Students from the Waterloo chapter of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH) reflect on their eye care trip to the Philippines.

By Kavya Piraba

Last summer, third-year University of Waterloo optometry students Shreya Jain, Kevin Thai and David Tu embarked on a two-week Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH) trip to the Philippines. The team – composed of eight optometry students and two optometrists – spent five days treating over 800 patients in the capital, Manila, as well as in Bulacan, north of Manila. 

The initiative was organized by Dr. Allan Jones of Canadian Vision Care (CVC), an international eye care charity founded by School of Optometry & Vision Science alumni. Two School alumni, Dr. Claudia Armaniampong (OD ’22) and Dr. Maryam Askarpoor (OD ’21), provided optometric care on the trip. The trip was supported in part through a fund administered by the Dean of Science.

Shreya: I was inspired to join VOSH because I was born in India and have seen what it’s like to not have access to health care. We don’t realize how privileged we are to live in Canada and have access to simple necessities, such as clean water, clean homes, even education. So being able to go there and serve these communities is very meaningful to me and it’s something I hope to carry forward even after graduation.

David: Knowing that I’m helping serve communities that don’t have good access to health care. By serving them, I can help improve people’s quality of life and the way in which they can perform things, like work.

Kevin: Patient care was a big highlight, especially when you get patients that come in not seeing very well at all, and you make a huge difference in the way they see. My favorite part is seeing their huge reactions and how grateful they are. It’s really heartfelt and super rewarding. 

Shreya: Our team definitely had a lot of fun during this trip! We got to see a lot of different eye diseases as well as apply what we’ve learned in a classroom setting to a more real-life situation. It was really exciting to practice the techniques we learned. We also enjoyed exploring the cultural aspect of the trip, like trying new foods, making new friendships, learning the language and integrating ourselves within the culture.

Kevin: Adjusting to the different climate was a huge thing because it’s super humid there. We’re so used to doing our eye exams in controlled environments, but when we’re there, it’s not as contained. It’s also important to take a lot of breaks because there are a lot of patients and it’s super easy to get fatigued and dehydrated. Another big challenge was finding water, since surprisingly, it’s easier to get Coke there than it is to get water.

Shreya: Luckily, many patients did speak English, but serving elderly patients was a bit challenging due to the language barrier. Also, since we learned how to do exams in such a privileged place, we had to change our methods and ensure that the environment didn’t affect the accuracy of our results such that we were still able to deliver the patient’s final diagnosis. Overall, our team adapted well, since we were prepared to face these challenges.

Shreya: Second year definitely prepared us for the techniques that we performed. We also took a clinical training session that was hosted by Dr. Tammy Labreche to teach us techniques we could use when we might not have access to the equipment we’d usually use. For example, phoropters are not readily available, so she taught us how to do trial frame refraction. We also prepared by researching the country as well as learning simple words in their language. For example, we learned how to say “better” or “clearer.” The best part was seeing patients’ faces light up when you were able to say a word in their language, even if it is as simple as better or worse.

Kevin: The cool thing about optometry is that there are always different ways to check or do different tests. For example, here, we rarely use a tool called the direct ophthalmoscope, but there I was using it on pretty much every patient. After starting clinic, I found it very helpful that we learned new skills that we don’t usually use because when we get older patients or younger kids who can’t sit still in the phoropter or slit lamp, those techniques we did practice are coming in handy now.

David: I’m grateful for the overall opportunity to attend the trip and that I’m privileged enough to be able to afford this trip and to be able to learn all the things I learned. I find myself reflecting on how different life is in different areas of the world. When we recommend something, we have to be very cautious of whether they have access to it or can afford it. What might seem accessible to us might be something that’s very out of reach for them.

Kevin: I’m grateful to be a part of this team and connect with everyone in a much deeper and unique way that not a lot of us can say we’ve done. Before the trip, there were some people that I wasn’t really close with, but now, after the trip, I feel like we’re all best friends. Also, I think that what we’re doing is really important, because a simple pair of glasses can do so much. It can change someone's life.

Shreya: I would go again. I think it’s very important to provide continuity of care. We met a lot of patients there, so it would be nice to go back and see some of those familiar faces again, to see how they’re doing now. Aside from the patients, we also worked with a pretty large team and we met a lot of optometry students from the Philippines. We made new friendships along the way and I’d like to touch base with everyone again.

Kevin: Yes absolutely, whether it be the Philippines or anywhere else in the world. Somewhere I’d want to go is Vietnam since that’s where I’m from and I think it would be an interesting challenge to try to do an exam in Vietnamese.

David: I would 100% go again, just because in the future I’m going to have much more clinical experience and expertise to provide to that community.