The Manitoba Government has announced the launch of a Retinal Specialist Pilot Project in Dauphin. Previously, the service this project will provide was only available in Winnipeg for Parkland residents.
“There was increased concern and anxiety expressed by our patients, particularly over the past two years, regarding travel to appointments in Winnipeg,” said Dr. Kara Vanderheyden, optometrist, Ashcroft Vision Care.
This project will bring a retinal specialist to Dauphin once a month to perform injections, a service that many had to travel to Winnipeg monthly to receive. The services will be provided at Ashcroft Vision Care, and Health Minister Audrey Gordon said there is an opportunity to expand services in the future.
"One of the reasons we're saying this is a pilot, and the pilot will initially benefit a certain number of individuals, is so that we can test demand, and look at how often we have to bring those specialists in," said Gordon outside Ashcroft Vision Centre this afternoon. "So in the pilot, it may be one day, but once the program is fully up and running it may be more."
Retinal specialists diagnose retinal diseases and treat a wide variety of eye conditions including age-related macular degeneration, hereditary diseases of the eye, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, and cancers of the eye. The program will be able to serve 60 to 80 patients per visit.
"Not all patients have to have injections every month, so we should be able to accommodate most patients in this area from having to go to Winnipeg, that is the goal of this project." Said Dr. Vanderheyden
