Central Land Council
in this section
CLC Press Releases
- 28 October 2008
- Devils Marbles handed back to traditional owners ›› more
- 27 October 2008
- Tanami Regional Partnership Agreement ›› more
- 27 October 2008
- Warlpiri use royalties to build Yuendumu Pool ›› more
- 15 October 2008
- Minister looks for distraction ›› more
- 14 October 2008
- CLC response to NTER review ›› more
- 14 August 2008 2008
- Communities have their say on intervention ›› more
- 31 July 2008 2008
- Fairfax news in bad taste ›› more
- 24 July 2008 2008
- election: accountability needed ›› more
- 17 July 2008 2008
- Royal commission needed into NT funding ›› more
- 11 July 2008 2008
- Simpson Desert: the last land rights claim under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act ›› more
- 8 July 2008 2008
- Sacred site damage at Wilora ›› more
- 30 May 2008
- Seal the Mereenie Loop Road Now ›› more
- 27 May 2008
- Angela Pamela Negotiations ›› more
- 9 May 2008
- Angela Pamela and the native title process ›› more
- 18 February 2008
- Coalition should support permit system ›› more
- 15 February 2008
- Politicians threaten to derail fresh start ›› more
- 22 January 2008
- Police ignorance upsets Lajamanu community ›› more
- 26 November 2007
- Optimism for a fresh consensual approach on Aboriginal affairs ›› more
- 21 November 2007
- Concerns over Central Petroleum tactics ›› more
NEW EYE CLINIC FOR ALICE SPRINGS
The Fred Hollows Foundation is about to operate on another 50 patients this month and there are bigger plans afoot.
The Fred Hollows Foundation says it will put $3 million towards an eye clinic in Alice Springs and it hopes an agreement will be made with the Northern Territory and Australian Governments by the middle of this year.
“Many people are content just pointing out that health services should be better in rural and remote Australia. Well this is Fred’s Foundation saying ‘bugger it, the money is on the table, let’s get on and do it’. That’s the Fred Hollows way,” said the Foundation’s CEO, Brian Doolan.
This month the Foundation will have treated another 50 patients from Alice Springs town camps, Tennant Creek and the bush. More than 75 per cent of those operations will be removing cataracts.
Chris Masters works for the Fred Hollows Foundation in Alice Springs and travels extensively throughout the bush to talk to people about what can be done for their eyesight.
“They ‘re worried they’ll go blind or we’ll take their eye out,” he said. “So we need to reassure them and talk with clinic staff before we have another blitz.”
He says that it is “absolutely fantastic” to see people’s reactions after the procedure.
“We had a busload of 10 people from Yuendumu come in last time and they looked very worried and sad before they had the procedure. Afterwards they jumped on the bus laughing and shaking hands with everybody and very, very happy,” he said.
“In the case of cataracts, in 24 hours somebody can go from being completely blind to having vision. It’s a very effective intervention.”