17 Jun 2013

NZ ophthalmologist going to Cambodia to treat children

6:14 am on 17 June 2013

A New Zealand ophthalmologist will travel to Cambodia next month to help show surgeons there how to treat children with eye troubles.

The Sight For All Foundation in Australia is paying to send 12 eye specialists to Cambodia over the next 18 months.

Justin Mora, who's the first to go, said he will be teaching two ophthalmologists how to treat children, because Cambodian eye surgeons are trained only in adult eye care.

Dr Mora said children born with cataracts in Southeast Asian countries are often left untreated and go blind because there is no access to dedicated services.

He said about 45% of the world's blind people are in Southeast Asia.