Page 20 - 2016 Annual Report

“Teach the

teachers first,

then the teachers

can teach others.”

– Fred Hollows

CASE STUDY:CHINA

DR ZHANG’S STORY

Dr Zhang has worked at the Lixin People’s
Hospital in Anhui Province, China, for the past
seven years. When he first started, there was no
systematic training for young doctors – they were
expected to learn by observing their seniors. This
changed three years ago when The Fred Hollows
Foundation supported training for Dr Zhang and
his colleagues, and the impact has been ongoing.
“Before the training, we used to wait for patients
to come to us. Now we understand the importance
of reaching out,” he said.
Dr Zhang sees firsthand the devastating impact
of blindness. “If you are blind, everyday life
becomes so difficult. Some patients can’t see a
future and struggle with depression.” But being
able to restore sight and give people a brighter
future is what fuels his
passion for his work.
When asked what his
favourite moment has
been he replied, “It
was when I removed a
patient’s eye patch and
she said ‘the doctor is so
good looking!’”

THE FRED HOLLOWS FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 2016 | HOLLOWS.ORG