Making better use of scarce resources: the Palestinian experience, 1995-1999

Until August 2, 1997, The Eye Hospital-Gaza (EH) provided both primary and secondary eye services to almost 1 million inhabitants in Gaza. This exerted a tremendous load on the hospital's facilities and prevented the hospital from performing its main role as a secondary eye care provider. The training and guidance of primary health care (PHC) providers are essential in order that they can do their share in eye care. A prevention of blindness awareness campaign, training, workshops, and practical instruction took place in Gaza over a three-year span. A new purpose designed referral system was started on August 2, 1997, that resulted in a great change and improvement of the services in the hospital. Primary eye care is an integral part of ophthalmic services. Proper continuous training of PHC providers is essential, not only for providing service to patients near their residence in the shortest time possible, but also to facilitate the smooth, effective, and efficient functioning of the hospital as a secondary and tertiary eye care provider. We believe the system and methodology used is efficient and reproducible in many developing countries.