Donated OCT from Hôpitaux Robert Schuman arrives in IONA, Luanda
CBM has organised the repair and shipping of a used OCT to IONA, Luanda. Now in place, the OCT is helping to diagnose eye conditions on people with visual impairments in Angola.
Providing key equipment, such as kits for cataract surgeries, continues to be an important area of focus for CBM Luxembourg. The opportunity for donating equipment, to augment the level of care at IONA, Luanda, Angola, arose when Hôpitaux Robert Schuman (HRS) offered to donate a previously used OCT.
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging test. It uses light waves to take cross-section pictures of the retina. With OCT, an ophthalmologist can see each of the retina’s distinctive layers. This allows an ophthalmologist to map and measure their thickness, helping with diagnosis. OCT can guide treatment for glaucoma as well as retinal disease, like age-related macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease.
HRS had an old OCT that it no longer needed. Rather than dispose of it, the hospital contacted CBM to see if it could be used in another country. Although the OCT is old, it still has many years of use and with some expert repairs and updates, it can work perfectly. After discussing the opportunity at IONA, HRS donated earlier in 2023 the OCT to CBM Luxembourg to send to Angola.
The machine needed some repairs and updates, these were made by the manufacturer, Heidelberg Engineering in Germany, throughout March to June.
The shipment had to be organised from Germany to IONA which also took time. The OCT was eventually sent and passed customs in August.
The technical set up was completed in September when an engineer flew to Luanda from Germany; travel and board for the engineer was organised and paid for by CBM.
Thank you to Hôpitaux Robert Schuman for the kind donation of the OCT machine and for the repairs and technical support at Heidelberg Engineering.
We hope the OCT will help many patients at IONA.
