By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
LUKE Wu’s recent visit to Fiji certainly opened his eyes.
The Narre Warren optometrist visited in November as part of an outreach program organised by the Fred Hollows Foundation and Specsavers, where Luke works at its Fountain Gate outlet.
During the initiative he assisted in an intensive training program for Pacific Island students in the final week of their Postgraduate Diploma in Eye Care Nursing at The Foundation’s Pacific Eye Institute.
“My boss nominated me and I thought I might as well look at the opportunity,” Luke said.
“It sounded like a good thing for me to do.”
As part of the program Luke, who studied for five years to become an optometrist, helped train many aspiring eye specialists, many of who were returning to countries where they would be the only eye-care nurse available.
“I felt really good about going there and I would’ve liked to be there longer than a week,” he said.
“I didn’t feel it was long enough to make a big, big impression.”
As well as encountering people who didn’t realise they were overdue for glasses, Luke and the other trainers were also coming face to face with many people suffering diabetes, which often negatively affects a suffer’s sight.
“Even in the nearby countryside, 50 to 60 per cent of people had diabetes,” Luke said.
“Many people had problems with their eyes and problems with long-term sight.
“And the accessibility of glasses is not common knowledge.”
But Luke felt he had an influence on helping these people see better and it’s a gift he would love to pass on again.
“I’d definitely do this again, it was worth my while,” he said.
“It was a great experience to see what’s happening around the rest of the world.”
