Prevention of Retinopathy of Prematurity - the programme was launched in 2001. Initially, the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation purchased 7 diode lasers for treatment centres in hospitals in Katowice, Łódź, Białystok, Poznań, Szczecin, Gdańsk, and Wrocław.
The Foundation equipped all neonatal intensive care units in Poland with 129 ophthalmoscopes (used to see inside the fundus of the eye) and 27 laser devices. Currently, there are 21 treatment centres, which the Foundation has equipped, and till autumn of 2021, doctors have examined and diagnosed 261 765 prematurely born babies and saved the eyesight of 11,473 babies (according to data from Janunary 2023)!
This type of retinopathy is caused by premature birth, and it means that the retina (part of the eye) is not developed correctly yet when the child is born. The damaged retina can eventually cause substantial loss of eyesight and, when left untreated in the early stages, can result in loss of sight. First symptoms can be diagnosed between 1 and 3 months of a baby's life, so doctors need to have access to sophisticated equipment such as laser surgery devices. The best chance to save the child's eyesight is a quick diagnosis and effective treatment undertaken as early as possible.
Retinopathy
Fundacja wyposażyła 21 wyspecjalizowanych ośrodków zajmujących się leczeniem retinopatii w najnowocześniejszy sprzęt laserowy - fotokoagulatory laserowe.
The Foundation equipped all neonatal intensive care units in Poland with 125 ophthalmoscopes (used to see inside the fundus of the eye) and 27 laser devices. Currently, there are 19 treatment centres, which have been equipped by the Foundation and till January 2021 doctors have examined and diagnosed 254 919 prematurely born babies and saved the eyesight of 10 692 babies!
The GOCC Foundation has just completed the three-day-long 66th Open Tender held to buy medical equipment for the fight against sepsis. The Foundation spent a record-breaking amount of PLN 168 million!
On 22 May – nearly 4 months after the January fundraiser and 2 months after revealing the final result of the collection – the GOCC Foundation commences the 66th Open Tender to buy medical equipment for 169 laboratories across the country. The stakes are high!
On 9 May in Poland, we celebrate the Ophthalmologists and Ophthalmology Day – a very special date for the GOCC Foundation. Since 2001 we have run the Prevention of Retinopathy of Prematurity Programme!
Today we observe the World Spank Out Day (No-hitting, no-smacking, no-spanking day for children) promoted by the American EPOCH (End Physical Punishment of Children) organization, annually. It has been 20 years since the GOCC Foundation initiated the Teddy’s Tale – Don’t hurt me, love me! action aimed at raising the awareness among adults and children on the harmful effects of corporal punishments of the underage.
