Ella 6K

Fred Hollows

Fred Hollows was born in Dunedin, New Zealand.In 1961 he went to Moorfeilds Eye Hospital in England to study ophthalmology. In 1960 Fred Hollows came to Australia by plane in 1960 to continue eye surgery.Early in the 1970s Hollows began visiting  New South Wales towns and stations and Aboriginal communities . He became especially concerned with the high number of Aborigines who had eye defects, in particular trachoma which causes blindness if not treated quickly. In 1971 he set up the Aboriginal Medical Service in suburban in Sydney, and was subsequently responsible for the establishment of medical services for Aboriginal throughout Australia. Hollows himself spent three years visiting Aboriginal communities to provide eye care and carry out a survey of eye defects. More than 460 Aboriginal communities were visited, and 62,000 Aboriginals were examined, leading to 27,000 being treated for trachoma and 1000 operations being carried out. Without Fred Hollows there would probably be no Eye Surgery Hospitals today.

Ella Van Dyck 6K