Healthcare group sets up free eye screening clinic for new refugees

Eye exam at Kitchener, Ont. screening clinic on Nov. 11, 2023.

An organization based in Kitchener-Waterloo is reaching out to new refugees in need of healthcare.

According to a media release by Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo, they’ve seen a “sudden influx of new refugees who require immediate and long-term resources to meet their basic needs.”

In response, they organized a free eye screening clinic Friday for the region’s newest arrivals.

Ophthalmology and optometry providers set up at 564 Belmont Avenue West in Kitchdener to screen for ocular diseases and other conditions that can go unnoticed without regular checkups.

“We have access to case workers, we have access to interpreters, we have access to medical students who are all willing to help the same cause,” said Dr. Shiva Adel, with Community Healthcaring Kitchener-Waterloo. “We’re really hoping to reduce the burden on different optometrists and ophthalmologists by providing health screening in a one-stop shop.”

The response from the community, they added, was “tremendous.” A total of 58 people signed up in advance, with many more on the waitlist.

Additional screenings are planned for the future, but the organization said more resources are need to fund the clinics.