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Friends of ASAPROSAR Eye Clinic |
A group of Boston-area volunteers started going to Santa Ana, El Salvador annually in the mid 1980’s to assist the efforts of a Salvadoran physician, Dr. Vicky Guzman. Dr. Guzman founded ASAPROSAR (Asociacion Salvadoreña Pro Salud Rural -- Salvadoran Association for Rural Health) in 1972 to promote health consciousness among the Salvadoran poor. To learn more about ASAPROSAR, click here.
In 1988 the group determined that the population served by ASAPROSAR had no reasonable access to eye care. A coordinated effort was mounted to establish an eye clinic. Optometrists and ophthalmologists were recruited, used glasses were collected and in 1989 the first eye clinic met a large demand – over 800 patients were seen.
Computer program
We now use a computer program to inventory and select our used glasses.
The search for a specific prescription from the inventory of used eyeglasses begins with a screen like this:
Results of the search are presented in a table like this:
We make the program available as free shareware. The program has been adopted by several VOSH (Volunteer Optometric Services for Humanity) groups. To download the Richmond Eyeglass Inventory Matching System computer program and associated instruction manual, click here: REIMS
Current Activities
Since that first clinic, an inventory of 10,000 used glasses has been established. ASAPROSAR has a full time optometrist and patients are seen year 'round. In 1994 eye surgery was initiated at a local hospital, and, starting in 2000, all surgery has been performed at ASAPROSAR. Three OR’s have now been set up on the ASAPROSAR campus.
The group going down each year now numbers about forty and includes optometrists, ophthalmologists, OR nurses, anesthesiologists and lay volunteers.
Click here to see an Adobe pdf file of an article about our work that appeared in Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today for August, 2006.
(March, 2006): Report on 2006 clinics in Santa Ana and San Miguel, El Salvador
Click here to see snapshots taken during El Salvador campaigns.
See the list of volunteers for the 2008 trip. The 2008 trip will leave on Friday January 25th and return on Sunday February 3rd
Click here for detailed information for volunteers.
The leader of our group is Dr. Alan R. Gruber, M.D., PhD, DSW.
Al can be reached at asaprosar@verizon.net, telephone 781-331-1544.
How you can you help!
We welcome skilled volunteers and donations of supplies, equipment, clothing, and toys, as well as dollars.
To volunteer to help, or to contribute toys or clothing, please contact Al Gruber at asaprosar@verizon.net, telephone 781-331-1544.
To contribute equipment or supplies, please contact Dr. Joseph H. Bowlds, M.D. at jhbowlds@massmed.org, telephone 978-535-1431.
A container-load of donated equipment and supplies, along with clothing and toys, is shipped to Santa Ana each December, to be available upon our arrival there in January or February.
Our current wish list:
2 OR stretcher/OR tables
YAG laser.
Ophthalmic ultrasound with A and B scan
Autoclave operating on 110/120v
Slit lamps in good condition
Two window air conditioners
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