Free, temporary eye clinics to open in Chişinău and Ungheni for refugees and Moldovans thanks to the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation and Low Vision Centre

Free, temporary eye clinics to open in Chişinău and Ungheni for refugees and Moldovans
© UNHCR/Eugenia Ciurca

Chișinău, 26 June 2023. The OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation and Low Vision Centre Moldova joined forces this week with the Republic of Moldova’s Ministry of Health, Ungheni City Hall and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to launch temporary eye clinics in Chişinău and Ungheni. These clinics will offer free eyecare services to Moldovans and refugees alike, in Chişinău from 26-28 June and in Ungheni from 30 June to 1 July.

“I haven’t have my eyes checked in a long time,” said Valentina, an 84-year-old refugee from Ukraine. “I heard people talk about the free clinics and registered. Eye care is usually expensive but I got two pairs of prescription glasses for free here.”

This project aims to improve eyecare services for refugees and Moldovans in these areas by distributing eyeglasses to at least 1,000 individuals as well as supporting training for local eyecare professionals. Collaborating with the Low Vision Centre, the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation will bring volunteer technicians from Italy, eye measurement equipment, and eyeglasses for these temporary clinics. “We are pleased to offer free eyecare services and eyeglasses to refugees and host communities in Chişinău and Ungheni,” explains Frédéric Corbasson, the Executive Director of the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation.

OneSight’s technicians will work alongside local volunteers, including from NGOs, students from the Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Republic of Moldova, and the Ungheni City Hall. In addition to helping provide eye care services to the public, the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation will donate the equipment they brought to the Low Vision Centre and conduct training sessions for local colleagues and university students.

“We are grateful to OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation and the Low Vision Centre for helping so many refugees and Moldovans see better,” said UNHCR Country Representative for the Republic of Moldova Francesca Bonelli. “Private sector partnerships like this show solidarity through concrete support to both refugees and host communities alike.”