Mbrarara University Ophthalmology Dept Recieves OCT Machine

MUST’s department of Ophthalmology on Thursday, 22nd September 2016, received a donation of new Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT) machine worth over USD 50,000 and 60 vials of Avastin worth about USD 38,000.

This equipment was kindly donated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

An OCT machine is used in the imaging of the eyeball; specifically the retina and can demonstrate a number of intraretinal pathologies which cannot be seen with the fundus camera or ophthalmoscopes. This rare piece of equipment in Uganda shall not only improve the standards of training of residents and undergraduate students in the field of phthalmology, but also the diagnosis and management of patients who come to the university’s eye centre with Vitreoretinal disorders.

Avastin is an anti-vasuclar Endothelial Growth Factor (Anti-VEGF) used in the treatment of ischemic retinal disorders like diabetic maculopathies, retinal neovascularizations, retinal vein occlusions and age related macular degenrations among others.

The equipment was handed over to the university by Dr. Jonathan Gunther on behalf of the Church and recieved by Assoc. Prof. Samuel Maling, the Dean, Faculty of Medicine, MUST.