Central Australians requiring eye treatment will have greater access to care following the appointment of a second eye nurse at Alice Springs Hospital (ASH).
The new ASH Eye Nurse, Cathryn Skipsey, joins the eye health team run by Dr Tim Henderson and Nurse Maryanne Cooke.
Alice Springs Hospital General Manager Vicki Taylor said, "We've substantially enhanced our capacity to provided quality eye care and treatment to the people of Central Australia.
"There is now greater scope for one nurse to perform outreach to remote communities or assist with surgery in the operating theatre whilst the clinic work continues," said Ms Taylor.
The announcement coincides with National Glaucoma Week which aims to raise awareness of the approximately 300,000 Australians who have glaucoma. The disease affects the optic nerve at the back of the eye and slowly causes blindness.
Ms Skipsey said glaucoma would be just one of the issues she' will be dealing with regularly, although the disease is not as common in Central Australia as elsewhere in Australia.
"The NT has a relatively young population and because glaucoma is usually associated with the elderly we see less of it here than in other places.
"Central Australians are more likely to have cataracts, diabetic retinopathy or a need for glasses," said Ms Skipsey
Alice Springs Hospital Opthamologist Dr Tim Henderson added: "Checkups and other primary eye care should be performed by a GP or optometrist who will, if necessary, refer patients on to a hospital for further treatment.
"In the case of glaucoma the biggest problem is detecting it early. Once it is detected, modern, ongoing treatment-eye drops-is effective enough to prevent further deterioration," said Dr Henderson.
Media contact: Cameron Jackson 0401 114 113