CSR starts at home with support for CNIB
Goldcorp takes Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) very seriously, as much so in northern Ontario as it does in foreign lands. It makes a yearly donation to CNIB to support its Ontario Medical Mobile Eye Care Unit, better known as CNIB Eye Van, a travelling clinic that offers critical eye care services in remote areas. The $25,000 donation from Goldcorp may not sound like much, but it helped save the vision of Ron Joensen, a metallurgical technician and long-time Goldcorp employee.
Six or seven years ago, Joensen’s eye exam in the Eye Van revealed he had glaucoma. This progressive disease robs the sufferer first of peripheral vision and eventually of all sight if left untreated. Standard treatment involves eye drops on a daily basis. In certain cases, treatment with a specialized laser is an option. Both the laser and drops are used to lower pressure within the eye which is a major risk factor for glaucoma. The laser treatment Joensen received in the Eye Van allowed him to return to work an hour later.
The laser treatment was applied to half of each eye and is very effective. The pressure should stay down for some time. Should it ever go up again, the same laser procedure can be applied to the other half of each eye
“CNIB has made a huge difference over the last few years,” Joensen told CMJ. “It’s a win-win situation, especially for the First Nations now that there is screening for diabetes.”
The latest initiative of the CNIB Eye Van, screening and education for diabetes, was initiated this year with the Northern Diabetes Health Network. Blindness is common in cases of untreated diabetes and frequently afflicts aboriginal elders. With early detection and treatment, blindness is no longer an inevitable part of growing old.
The concept of a travelling eye clinic was developed in the winter of 1971-72 jointly by CNIB and the Ontario Medical Association (Section on Ophthalmology). It is a 14.5-metre custom-built trailer pulled by a semi. It contains an office, waiting area, vision screening area and an examination room. It is equipped with a reinforced floor and corner stabilizers as well as a hydraulic levelling system so that delicate eye procedures can be safely performed. It is staffed by a rotating team of 26 visiting ophthalmologists and two CNIB ophthalmic assistants. Every year it treks 6,000 km across northern Ontario and treats an average of 5,000 people who would otherwise not have access to eye care.
More information is posted at www.CNIB.ca/EyeVan
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