PARENTAL consent and logistics are among the biggest challenges facing Fiji’s free eye screening program in schools, according to the team behind the initiative.
The program, led by the Sai Prema Foundation and US-based Anekant Community Centre, has five teams conducting screenings daily in schools across Ba, Lautoka, Nadi, Sigatoka and Suva-Nausori.
Mr Nitin Shah said parental consent had been one of the biggest challenges during the screenings.
“This testing takes literally a few seconds. It’s non-invasive, and it uses devices and machines, and we always have an eye professional with us. Asking for parental consent was the biggest issue we had to deal with in all the schools,” he said.
He said students who did not receive parental consent could feel left out. “Just imagine you have 50 students, 30 consent, and the other 20 are going to feel left out, and we don’t have a system in Fiji where those 20 will be seen.”
Mr Shah questioned the need for individual parental consent once approval had been granted by the Ministry of Education.
“Why do we need to have permission from parents? Once the ministry gives permission to test, this should not be a requirement.”
Director and CEO of the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Heart Hospital in Fiji, Krupali Tappoo, said logistics were also a major challenge, particularly the movement of teams between schools.
“Transporting 30 to 40 staff from Suva all the way to the West, accommodating everyone, meals and transport between schools — the logistics are tremendous.”
She said hospital staff and drivers had been working long hours to support the program.
“Teams start at six in the morning and finish quite late. There are five different teams moving through various schools daily.”
Mr Shah said the program required a collective effort.
“It takes two to tango, and it takes a village to do these things.”
