World-First Mobile Eye Clinic Helping Rural and Remote Communities

The St John’s Ambulance Eye Van is the first of its kind in the world, and thanks to the support of UD Trucks Australia, is bringing world-class facilities to rural and remote communities in an effort to  substantially reduce blindness and visual impairment amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders  with diabetes, treating over 5500 people since its inception in 2013. 

UD Trucks Australia’s partnership with the Eye Van (formerly called the IDEAS Van) involves providing  and maintaining the prime mover that pulls the mobile ophthalmology clinic. The IDEAS Van was  independent before merging with St John’s Ambulance in January this year and becoming known as  the Eye Van. 

“UD Trucks’ mission is “to challenge for better life” so the partnership with the Eye Van is an extremely  fitting one for the brand,” says Lauren Pulitano, Vice President, UD Trucks Australia. 

“UD Trucks is part of Volvo Group Australia, Australia’s largest heavy vehicle manufacturer, who have  been partners with the Eye Van since its inception in 2013, providing a vehicle for their mission for the  past 10 years. A UD Truck has been supplied for the Eye Clinic to utilise since 2019. 

“The Quon GK 4×2 is one of the safest and most comfortable trucks in its class. UD actually stands for  ultimate dependability, so the reliability of the Quon makes it the ideal truck to tackle the harsh terrain  and reach patients in remote rural communities,” Pulitano concludes. 

Diabetes and glucose intolerance affects 50% of the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander adults who  live in rural and remote communities. 1 in 3 will experience vision loss which is preventable or treatable  in 94% of cases when diagnosed in the early stages. 

Some of these conditions require treatment every 8 weeks to prevent vision loss – this is challenging  particularly with the elderly who, in many cases, aren’t able to leave their community to get the required  care.

A well-known Aboriginal artist, Venus Rabbit, had significant eye problems but thankfully she attended  the Eye Van and subsequently was treated for cataracts. She has said, “now I can paint in colours”.

The team behind the initiative who head out to rural committees every 8 – 12 weeks, includes:

• Founder of the Eye Van, Lyndall De Marco, St John Ambulance’s General Manager of  Ophthalmology Programs 
• Dr Rowan Porter, who has been the Ophthalmologist on the truck since 2014 as well as the designer of the inside of the vehicle and the Clinical Advisor to the Eye Van
• Mark Morrissey, who has been the Driver/Van Operator since 2014

Lyndall De Marco, General Manager, Ophthalmology Programs for St John Ambulance said it is great to  have the Eye Van back out helping indigenous communities after being severely impacted by Covid. 

“The Eye Van was impacted through Covid when the indigenous communities closed to prevent  transmission. During that time the eye van was utilised by rural hospitals to run outpatients Ophthalmic  Clinics bringing much needed treatment to Central Queensland. Now the indigenous clinics are  resuming and so it is great to have it back out on the road, bringing world-class facilities to rural and  remote communities preventing avoidable blindness.” 

Since the first clinic in 2013, the St John’s Ambulance Eye Van has: 

• Treated over 5500 patients in the familiar surrounds of their own community
• Involved 37 outreach ophthalmologists and optometrists from Qld
• Held over 332 Clinics
• Travelled 600,000 km around rural and remote Qld and country Victoria

On Friday 19th August, staff from UD Trucks Australia travelled to Cherbourg in Western Queensland, to  attend a clinic there as part of their partnership with St John’s Ambulance and the Eye Van which was  the first clinic held since before Covid in 2019.