Inverell’s Sue Moran is travelling back to Kokoda in July with her husband Greg and a Rotary team to continue work with the Kokoda Hospital. 

Sue hopes to bring a bounty of much-needed supplies that Inverell residents often take for granted.

Items include sunglasses and reading glasses. 

They could make the difference between vision and blindness.

“The glare. It’s common to see people with white eyes, they’re blind with cataracts, and very painful terigians in their eyes,” Sue said.

“With tergians, your eyes are really red and sore, and if you don’t have them attended to, then they can actually go in the pupil of your eye, and you can end up, I understand, blind from it.”

She said treatment would require people to travel to Port Moresby, but most could not afford that trip.

Reading glasses are essential for many professionals such as staff working at Kokoda Hospital. 

Sue said in the absence of doctors, nurses dispense medications to patients and often cannot read the labels on the pill bottles. Another woman Sue worked with in the sewing room said her job was at risk 

“She said, ‘I’m the dental technician. I’ve been told that unless I can get a pair of glasses, I can’t extract teeth’,” Sue said.

Those with a pair of unwanted reading or sunglasses can drop them off to chemists Campbell and Freeb-airn or Inverell Pharm-acy for the Rotary Kokoda trip and they will be appreciated.

The team are also collecting bras again for women which can be left at Lingerie 4 All on Vivian Street. They are also preparing baby kits, and would appreciate donations of re-useable cloth nappies.

Lastly, for the women learning to sew, spare fabric, sewing notions and accessories. Any kind of sewing kit that can be enjoyed as a pastime, such as a needlework kit would be very welcome.

For more information, phone Sue Moran on 6722 3269.