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Fungai Lupande Mashonaland Central Bureau

Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE) will this year open an optometry school and eye clinic, the first of its kind in the country.

Speaking during a handover of reading glasses to people with albinism at BUSE’s town campus last week, chief technologist Mr Solomon Gowe said construction of the school located along Hay Road was set to commence soon.

“We have an optometry unit where we train students on functions of the eyes and how eye problems can be corrected,” he said.

“It is a four-year programme. Now we have established a school of optometry here in Bindura. The building is ready and state-of-the-art equipment was donated by an optometrist Dr Finn Juncker.

“We are waiting for Bindura Municipality to connect water so that the school is open for use. The school is going to be used for research and eye screening.

“We have an outreach programme targeting people with albinism and Dr Juncker is distributing free reading glasses. It was difficult to mobilise people with albinism because they don’t have an association here. We had to reach out to schools and those who managed to come were assisted.”

Last week, the BUSE team was at Murembe Clinic and Chiweso Primary School for eye screening services for the elderly and school going pupils.

They have assisted hundreds of people in Kamutsenzere, Mukumbura, Murazarani and Mushumbi.

Dr Juncker, who is visiting BUSE for the second time, works in different African countries, including Mozambique and during his stay in Zimbabwe he will visit Triangle, Masvingo and Bulawayo.