The Israel Healthcare Foundation requests $65,000 for the purchase of two sets of critically needed ophthalmic diagnostic device to serve aging and diabetic patients at a Clalit Clinic in Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel.
Kiryat Shmona, in the upper Galilee of Israel, is located approximately one mile from the Lebanon border and 25 miles from the nearest hospital. Traveling for medical attention can be a journey of one to two hours that becomes significantly more dangerous during periods of conflict, when residents travel under the threat of rockets, missiles, and drone attacks. This makes access to hospital-based care unreliable, and clinic medical services essential.
The Clinic serves an aging population, with around 25% of patients aged 65 and over, many of whom live with chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Both conditions carry a serious risk of vision-threatening complications if not regularly monitored. Approximately 30% of diabetic patients cannot be screened due to lack of proper equipment, representing a critical gap in preventive care.
Funds from this grant will be used towards the purchase of a fixed slit lamp, a specialized microscope that allows doctors to magnify and examine the internal structures of an individual’s eye. This advanced ophthalmic equipment will enable doctors to diagnose and manage a wide range of eye conditions (including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, retinal diseases, and age-related disorders) earlier, more accurately, and without requiring patients to travel to distant hospitals. It will also support routine and urgent ophthalmic procedures for the broader patient population, strengthening its capacity to provide specialist eye care to the vulnerable and underserved community in northern Israel.
This investment is essential to prevent avoidable vision loss and ensure that residents of Kiryat Shmona have access to timely, high-quality eye care close to home – particularly during times when leaving the community may not be safe.
