6 September 1995
FOUNDATION STONE LAID FOR FRED HOLLOWS LABORATORY IN HANOI
Senator McMullan said the Vietnamese Ministry of Health had arranged for allocation of the land for the Laboratory.
"The project has a high level of support in Australia," Senator McMullan said.
"As well as funding from AusAID, the Laboratory has received contributions from the Prime Minister, the business sector and the general community.
"It is important that building of the facility now proceed without further delay to promote stronger ties between the governments and peoples of Vietnam and Australia."
In May 1992, Professor Hollows was invited by the Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology to visit Vietnam to evaluate the need and feasibility of establishing a cataract blindness eradication program.
The Hollows team found there was a lack of operating instruments and no intraocular lenses (IOLs), and considered that the introduction of an IOL program would greatly enhance the capacity of the medical staff to increase the number of operations per year.
In August 1992, AusAID provided $127,000 for the Hollows team to conduct impact surgical training workshops in Hanoi.
The Australian Government is providing around $1.8 million for the IOL project over four years - for the factory, surgical training and equipment for the surgeons.
It is estimated there are currently between 300,000 and 500,000 cases of cataract blindness in Vietnam.
Assistance to the health sector is an essential component of Australia's development cooperation program to Vietnam, and primary health care is the central focus of this assistance. Of Australia's total 1994/95 aid contribution of $60.1 million to Vietnam, more than $12 million was for health and family planning activities.
Further information: John Flannery, (06) 277 7420